- With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the nutrition and healthy eating guide, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.
A Marinette, Wis., native, Katherine is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in wellness nutrition at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and nutrition education related to weight management and practical applications of nutrition-related lifestyle changes.
Other areas of interest include food and nutrition for all life stages, active lifestyles and the culinary arts.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Question
Gastric bypass surgery: What happens if I regain the weight?
What happens if you gain back weight after gastric bypass surgery?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
If you begin to regain weight after gastric bypass surgery, talk to your doctor. You may need a thorough evaluation to determine what factors — medical, psychological, lifestyle — could be involved in the weight gain.
You may have gained weight after gastric bypass surgery because of unexpected but natural changes in your stomach and intestine that allow you to eat more and absorb more calories. But it's also possible that your diet and exercise habits have slipped, in which case you must typically lose the regained weight the old-fashioned way — both by reducing your calorie intake and increasing your physical activity.
In some cases, a second surgery to repair — or redo — a gastric bypass may be appropriate. However, a second surgery has an increased risk of complications, including infection, bleeding and leaks in the gastrointestinal tract. Because of these risks, gastric bypass surgery usually isn't redone if you regain weight because of poor diet or exercise habits.
Gastric bypass surgery can be an effective treatment for obesity, and most people do lose weight after the procedure. But you'll always be at risk of regaining weight, even years later. To help reach your weight-loss goal and prevent weight regain, it's crucial to make lifestyle changes along with having gastric bypass surgery.
- Jones D, et al. Complications of bariatric surgery. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index. Accessed March 19, 2012.
- Mullady DK, et al. Treatment of weight regain after gastric bypass surgery when using a new endoscopic platform: Initial experience and early outcomes (with video). Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. 2009;70:440.
- Odom J, et al. Behavioral predictors of weight regain after bariatric surgery. Obesity Surgery. 2010;20:349.
- Kofman MD, et al. Maladaptive eating patterns, quality of life, and weight outcomes following gastric bypass: Results of an Internet survey. Obesity. 2010;18:1.
- Zeratsky KA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 23, 2012.
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