Mechanisms Underlying Predictors of Success From Obesity Surgery

The goal of this project is to identify predictors of success in the treatment of obesity after bariatric surgery. The specific aims of this proposal are to: 1. Employ behavioral tests of mechanisms that control food intake in normal weight individuals, to determine which intake control mechanisms lead to changes after Roux-en-y gastric bypass (RYGB) or sleeve gastrectomy (SG); and 2. Measure behavioral and psycho-social predictors of weight loss and food intake reduction, so as to determine which are most predictive of successful weight loss and food intake reduction. 3. Account for success in reduction of food intake brought about by the pattern of hormone release, particularly glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), Peptide YY (PYY) and gastric distention, known to underlie satiation, coupled with post-ingestive changes in reinforcing value of food and motivation to consume. Tests of the hypothesis will be done by measuring responses to tasting, working for, and consuming, foods on sensory, motivational, cognitive, and physiological variables, including amount consumed and rate of eating under standardized conditions, before surgery and at a two year follow up visit. In addition, the inhibitor sitagliptin will be administered the night before and day of test meal and exendin-9-39 (EX9) will be infused before and during the meal to determine whether blockade of GLP-1 / PYY receptors after surgery reverses intake reduction. Investigators predict that successful patients will show changes that favor reduction in food intake, rate of eating, motivation to consume, reward value of foods, and a hormone profile that has been shown to generate satiation and maintain reduction in intake (e.g. increased Cholecystokinin (CCK), GLP-1, PYY, reduced ghrelin). To the extent that psycho-social and cognitive factors may override physiological brakes to eating behavior, the subjects may fail to achieve success, and consequently the failure may be predicted from over-impulsiveness or in