Night Eating and Loss of Control over Eating in Bariatric Surgery Candidates

The goal was to examine the relationship between loss of control over eating (LOC_E) and other variables, including eating pathology, in bariatric candidates. Two hundred and twenty-six participants completed measures of depressive symptoms, eating pathology, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and alcohol use. Participants were divided into those who did (n = 123) and did not (n = 103) report subjective LOC_E. Participants with LOC_E had significantly higher levels of night eating, depressive symptoms, and eating disorder psychopathology and lower mental HRQOL. There were no observed differences in alcohol use, dietary restraint, or physical HRQOL. This study highlights eating and mental health-related correlates of LOC_E, providing evidence that it is associated with increased psychological burden in bariatric candidates. This is one of the first studies to report the relationship between LOC_E and night eating in this group and future research could elaborate on these variables to determine their importance in long-term weight loss.