Objective assessment of changes in physical activity and sedentary behavior: Pre- through 3 years post-bariatric surgery

Objective To evaluate change in sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activity (PA) over 3 years following bariatric surgery. Methods A subset of participants in an observational study (n=473 of 2,458; 79% female, median body mass index 45 kg m^-2) wore an activity monitor presurgery and at 1-3 annual postsurgery assessments. Results Over the first year, on average, sedentary time decreased from 573 (95% CI: 563-582) to 545 (95% CI: 534-555) min days^-1 and moderate- to vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA) increased from 77 (95% CI: 71-84) to 106 (95% CI: 98-116) min week^-1, or 7 (95% CI: 5-10) to 24 (95% CI: 18-29) min week^-1 in MVPA bouts ≥10 min. There were no changes in these parameters from years 1 to 3 (P for all>0.05). The percentage of participants achieving ≥150 min week^-1 of bout-related MVPA was not different at year 3 [6.5% (95% CI: 3.1-12.7)] vs. presurgery [3.4% (95% CI: 1.8-5.0); P=0.45]. Most participants followed SB and PA trajectories that paralleled mean change and were consistent with their presurgery position in relation to the group. Conclusions On average, bariatric surgical patients make small reductions in SB and increases in PA during the first postsurgery year, which are maintained through 3 years. Still, postsurgery PA levels fall short of PA guidelines for general health or weight control.