Strength and limits
weight loss, anxiety
The current study benefitted from the use of longitudinal data, which allowed the rigorous testing of a dynamic mediational model and obtained new insights into the mechanism between attachment anxiety, avoidance and health behaviours after bariatric surgery. Previous studies have relied on cross-sectional samples, thus, our results provide much-needed insight into associations over time. The majority of prior research on bariatric surgery patients has focused on eating-related factors. Therefore, studies focusing on other health behaviours important for weight loss and management are needed. Secondly, patients were assessed after they had been approved for bariatric surgery, thus reducing the urge to ‘socially enhance’ their responses, rendering the data more reliable. Lastly, the assessments were mainly conducted during hospital visits, ensuring little missing data.A limitation of the study was the reliance on self-report measures, which are subject to bias [