Assessment of dietary intake and biochemical parameters of morbidly obese Omani patients who are candidates for bariatric surgery

Background & aims: Severe obesity is a serious health condition defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 40 kg/m² and more. It was found that individuals with severe obesity had a greater chance of getting nutritional deficiencies related to unhealthy or low nutritional value diets. Therefore, the assessment of nutritional status is highly essential in pre-bariatric surgeries. The study aimed to determine the dietary intake and biochemical parameters of Omani adult subjects with severe obesity who are about to undergo bariatric surgeries and to identify gender-specific differences in dietary and biochemical characteristics. Subjects & methods: A retrospective hospital-based study at the Royal Hospital, Ministry of Health, Muscat, Oman, included 104 Omani adult subjects (35 males and 69 females) diagnosed with severe obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m²). A semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and blood tests were the study tools used to collect the data. The dietary intake was analyzed using the Cronometer software, while the biochemical parameters were analyzed using automated analyzers. Results: The majority of macro- and micro-nutrients were statistically significant from the recommended dietary intake (RDI) except for vitamin K and cholesterol for both genders. Among the males, the dietary intake of zinc, potassium, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 did not differ significantly from the RDI. Meanwhile, in females only pantothenic acid and zinc met the RDI. Macro- and micronutrient deficiencies were abundant among females with severe obesity as compared with males with severe obesity. The biochemical parameters measured in the sera of all study participants were within the normal range, except for serum phosphorus and low density lipoprotein (LDL), which were higher than the normal ranges. The study also revealed statistically significant differences in dietary and biochemical characteristics between males and females except in cholesterol, hemoglobin, LDL and vitamin B12, and vitamin D. Conclusion: This study concludes that the nutritional and biochemical assessment at pre-bariatric surgeries is vital to optimize long-term success and prevent further nutritional or related metabolic complications during the post-bariatric surgeries period.