Research

Hormonal

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery reduces the hedonic 'wanting' (appetitive drive) for energy-dense foods without necessarily altering the 'liking' (consumatory pleasure) of those foods.

If you have had RYGB, your brain's drive to seek out high-calorie foods is biologically reduced, even if you still enjoy the taste. Trust this biological shift rather than fighting cravings with willpower alone, as the surgery has altered your reward pathways.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Post-RYGB surgery, the desire to eat highly energy-dense foods was reduced significantly; despite this, there was no significant change in the individuals’ liking for these foodstuffs.
Audrey Melvin et al. · EMJ Gastroenterology · 2016

Why this rating

Supported by multiple human fMRI, PET, and behavioral studies, though some findings (dopamine receptor availability) are conflicting.

Source

Assessing Alterations in Food Preference as a Mechanism Contributing to Weight Loss After Gastric Bypass Surgery

Audrey Melvin et al. · EMJ Gastroenterology · 2016

DOI 10.33590/emjgastroenterol/10310586

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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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