Grant: Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Bariatric surgery (BS) is the most effective treatment for severe obesity, though it isn’t universally successful. BS modifies intestinal and metabolic functions, changing the gut microbiota (an ecosystem of bacteria, fungi and viruses in the intestinal tract) and dietary patterns, both of which vary largely post-surgery. Changes in diet and gut microbiota can regulate weight, but how BS impacts these relationships is unclear. The study objectives are to: 1) assess the changes in dietary patterns and gut microbiota in patients undergoing BS; and 2) evaluate how these changes are associated with post-BS weight. This 9-month (M) funded prospective study, will recruit 120 adults undergo BS and 60 age-, sex-, and body mass index-matched patients on the BS waitlist. Participants will provide questionnaire and physiological data 3-M pre- and 6-M post-surgery. A 7-day photo capture food diary (Keenoa) will document dietary data (micro- and macro-nutrient levels). Dietary consumption will be verified through blood and urine analysis. Standard Stool DNA Isolation Kits, metagenomic tools, and high-throughput sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene will assess fecal microbiota community. Co-investigators’ expertise (nutrition and microbiome) will aid with assessments. Cluster analyses of the dietary and gut microbiota changes will define the various dietary/microbiota profiles, then using general linear mixed models, the associations between these profiles and weight changes will be assessed. By understanding the significant changes in dietary patterns and microbiota following BS as well as the relationships between these changes and weight, individually targeted diet, probiotic, or other treatments for patients post-BS to improve outcomes may be developed.