Background: Obesity is regarded as the most common disease of affluence, gradually getting an epidemic status.
Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the frequency of consumption of selected food products among the patients qualified for bariatric surgery, together with the analysis of the potential effect of the diet on the development of obesity in examined group of people.
Material and methods: The study involved 57 patients qualified for bariatric treatment of obesity. A standardized food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used and anthropometric measurements were performed.
Results: In examined group of people, along with increasing BMI, the frequency of cheeses consumption decreased, whereas the frequency of consumption of vegetable and fruit - vegetable juices increased. In addition to that, it was observed that with higher frequency of consumption of animal fat (lard, bacon) and beer, the value of WHR increased, whereas the frequency of consumption of dairy products was in direct proportion to body weight of examined people. It was also noted that people living in the country consumed fruits and potatoes significantly more often than people living in the city, and that people with higher education significantly more often ate coarse grits, high quality meats and fatty fish, as compared to people with vocational training.
Conclusions: Inappropriate selection of food products and numerous dietary mistakes made by the patients directly contributed to the development of extreme obesity. The patients prepared for bariatric surgery should receive a dietician support during the preparation for the procedure and afterwards, later in life, in order to maintain a reduced body weight after the surgery.
Keywords: bariatric surgery; feeding behavior; obesity; diet; body mass index; BMI.