Establishing Needs for Exercise Programs for Bariatric Surgery Candidates

Previous research suggests that participation in physical activity after bariatric surgery is a good predictor of weight loss success and maintenance. However, many surgery candidates are receiving inadequate information about the role of physical activity in their weight loss and weight loss maintenance program after surgery. Our primary purpose was to gather information regarding a post-surgical physical activity program from bariatric surgery candidates during a pre-surgery clinic visit. A 25-item survey was administered by a dietician and completed by the patients at a regional bariatric surgery center. The survey assesses: 1) patients reasons for having bariatric surgery; 2) willingness to participate in a post-surgical exercise program; and 3) demographics of this population. Preliminary results (n=22) suggest that extended life was the most common response as the reason for surgery (67%) while looking better was only reported as a reason from women (19%). Almost all of the respondents (95%) were willing to participate in a free exercise program while 71% were willing to participate for a small fee. More than half (57%) of the respondents would participate in the program 3-5 days per week. The majority of respondents are white females (86%) and 51% report a degree in higher education; of those, 29% have an advanced college degree. Updated results of the survey will be disseminated and plans for future exercise programming for post-surgical patients will be discussed.