Upping your physical activity after gastric bypass surgery can do more than keep the weight off: It can improve your quality of life, too. Researchers studied nearly 200 people between the ages of 18 and 65 who had gastric bypasses and found that previously inactive people who increased their exercise level after surgery dropped significantly more weight than inactive patients who remained sedentary after surgery. What’s more, the inactive patients who stepped up their physical activity reported less depression and anxiety, higher energy levels, and better general health than those who remained inactive. Because feeling better could also lead to more physical activity, researchers say more studies are needed to determine which is cause and which is effect.
Source: Obesity, published online Nov. 6, 2008