A recent study has shown that patients who went under weight loss surgery reports certain changes in appetite, taste and smell. This to some could be a bad thing, but it is also viewed as a positive aspect that could lead to patients losing even more weight in the long term.
The researchers in this study recruited 103 British weight loss patients who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. This particular surgery shortens the intestines and makes the stomach smaller to allow patients to eat less, which can later cause for weight loss.
Of the 103 British patients, 97 percent claimed that their appetite changed after the surgery was completed, along with 42 percent who said their sense of smell changed. In addition, 73 percent reported changes in their sense of taste, mainly when it came to sour and sweet tastes.
Patients also report a different taste when it comes down to chicken, beef, pork, roast meat, lamb, sausages, fish, fast food, chocolate, greasy food, pasta and rice. In addition, nearly three-quarters of all patients claim to now have a dislike for certain foods after the surgery, especially those of meat products. One third of the patients reported a dislike for beefsteak, minced beef, ham, bacon, sausages, chicken and lamb.
It is understood that up to 12 percent of all patients had in loathing for starch foods such as bread, pastry, pasta, rice and dairy products, which includes ice cream, eggs, milk, and cheese. These findings are quite interesting, as it also proves that some patients who found a distaste for some foods lost up to 18 pounds after surgery, when compared to those whose taste was unaffected.
While the study proves that weight loss surgery can cause a distaste for certain for foods, which in the long run can cause future weight loss, the researchers failed to establish cause and effect.
According to lead author Lisa Graham, of the Leicester Royal Infirmary, the effects patients are experiencing after weight loss surgery may be due to gut hormone and central nervous system effects. She also said that patients who come in for weight loss surgery are always told of the possibility of losing taste and smell.
Is this the cure for obesity?
Not quite, because not all patients suffer from the same experiences after surgery. While some have a distaste for meat, it possible you might still feel the need to continue eating that half-side of pork. The only known cure for obesity is self-control, one should try this before things get out of control.
