Impact of bariatric surgery on physical functioning in obese adults

Obesity is associated with a profound impairment in the ability to perform the basic physical activities required for everyday function. This impacts on quality of life and contributes to disability. Bariatric surgery leads to weight loss and metabolic improvements in severe obesity; however, less i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Obesity reviews 2015-03, Vol.16 (3), p.248-258
Main Authors: Steele, T, Cuthbertson, D. J, Wilding, J. P. H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activities of Daily Living - psychology
adults
Bariatric Surgery
Evidence-Based Medicine
exercise capacity
exercise test
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
muscles
obesity
Obesity, Morbid - physiopathology
Obesity, Morbid - psychology
Obesity, Morbid - surgery
observational studies
Observational Studies as Topic
oxygen
patients
physical functioning
quality of life
Quality of Life - psychology
Treatment Outcome
Weight Loss
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Summary:Obesity is associated with a profound impairment in the ability to perform the basic physical activities required for everyday function. This impacts on quality of life and contributes to disability. Bariatric surgery leads to weight loss and metabolic improvements in severe obesity; however, less is known about its effect on physical functioning. This narrative review summarizes current evidence on the effect of bariatric surgery on this outcome with a consideration of the mechanisms involved. Nine longitudinal observational studies reporting objective measures of physical functioning were identified. Inclusion criteria, follow‐up time and outcomes reported varied considerably between studies and sample sizes were small. They all showed a significant improvement in performance following surgery despite variations in baseline patient characteristics. Additionally, six studies were found in which subjects were subjected to exercise testing protocols. Performance of the test protocol improved in all. Where reported, peak oxygen uptake related to body weight improved; however, absolute values were either unchanged or decreased. In conclusion, observational evidence suggests that patients’ physical functioning improves following bariatric surgery. More evidence is required regarding mechanisms involved; however, it may be due to improved efficiency in performing activities as opposed to absolute improvements in cardiorespiratory or muscle function.
ISSN:1467-7881
1467-789X
DOI:10.1111/obr.12247