Long-term weight maintenance following weight loss surgery (WLS) may be challenging for patients without supportive spouses. The health behaviors and relationship quality of spouses pre- and post-WLS have rarely been explored, leaving providers with little guidance on how to engage spouses in treatment. The purpose of this review is to synthesize the empirical research on relationship factors and WLS among married couples. The identified articles (N = 13) reported that the amount of weight lost post-WLS tended to be lower for married patients, couples' relationship quality tended to decline from pre- to post-WLS, and sexual contact increased post-WLS. Future research should explore how the relationship factors and quality of couples may influence patients' WLS outcomes over time to identify ways that interventions can enhance the couple's relationship and health.
Keywords: Marriage; Narrative review; Weight loss surgery.