Brain Activation in Response to Appetitive Cues Pre- and Post- Bariatric Surgery

Utilizing fMRI, this study will examine changes in BOLD signal as a proxy measure of brain activation in response to highly palatable (high energy density \[kcal/g\]), less palatable and non-food stimuli in severely obese women pre, 1 month post and 3 months post undergoing bariatric surgery (in surgery patients) and at equivalent times for control groups in fed and fasted conditions at each time point. Two surgical groups: (i) laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and (ii) gastric banding (GB) will be compared with two control groups: (i)those enrolled on a 3-month formula weight loss program or (ii) those who qualify, but do not undergo bariatric surgery, and receive no weight loss treatment.