A cross-sectional examination of the home food environments of mothers who have undergone metabolic and bariatric surgery: a pilot study

Background: Healthful dietary changes after metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) may benefit not only patients, but the type and/or availability of foods/beverages in the family home food environment (HFE) overall, thereby reducing obesogenic environmental risks to child offspring in the home. Few studies have investigated the family HFE after MBS.

Objectives: To examine whether the HFE of mothers post-MBS differed from the HFE of mothers of normal weight, overweight, and with obesity using an open home food inventory.

Setting: Cincinnati, Ohio and Newark, Delaware.

Methods: Thirty-two mothers with a child (6-12 yr) participated (8 post-MBS, 8 normal weight, 8 overweight, 8 with obesity) in a pilot study. Research personnel recorded all foods and beverages in the home. Per person total energy and servings of fruits, vegetables, sugar-sweetened beverages, and energy-dense snack foods in the HFE were examined using 1-way analyses of variance and Cohen's d effect sizes.

Results: Mothers in the post-MBS group had significantly fewer servings of sugar-sweetened beverages available per person compared with mothers with obesity (P = .01). Effect sizes for group differences indicated total energy, sugar-sweetened beverages, and servings of fruits and vegetables were generally medium to large, most with lower mean values for the post-MBS group relative to comparator groups.

Conclusion: These findings, while preliminary, highlight areas for future research and add to an emerging literature on obesogenic risks to offspring in the post-MBS home, a known subgroup at high risk for severe obesity.