Five Facts About Bariatric Surgery You Need to Know<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

By B.A. Blackwood<\/p>\n

I\u2019m a trial lawyer turned young adult fantasy fiction writer. When my friend, surgeon Nick Nicholson, approached me about co-authoring a book on the emotional consequences of weight loss surgery, I was intrigued, but skeptical. How could I \u2013 someone who\u2019d never had the surgery \u2013 write a compelling book about it?<\/p>\n

I have some overweight friends, but their weight is a sensitive issue we skirt around. I knew of one person who\u2019d had the surgery twice and still has to buy two airplane seats, but he\u2019s very tight-lipped about the whole experience. I\u2019d never understood the reasons for why the surgery didn\u2019t \u201ccure\u201d him, and, based on little snippets of conversations with his parents, they didn\u2019t either.<\/p>\n

In other words, I was pretty ignorant.<\/p>\n

But the more Dr. Nick filled me in on all of the issues that can arise after weight loss surgery, the more I wanted to know. So, I agreed, and began interviewing patients.<\/p>\n

Boy, did I learn a lot.<\/p>\n

First<\/span>, most bariatric patients are champion dieters, but, with the amount of weight they\u2019re trying to lose, their own physiology makes it virtually impossible to lose enough weight and keep it off permanently. That is why the success rate of diets for morbidly obese people is only two percent.<\/p>\n

Yes, you read that right. Two percent.<\/p>\n

Second<\/span>, eating isn\u2019t really the issue. It\u2019s just the coping mechanism of choice. Everyone has a coping mechanism or two, and, if we\u2019re honest, almost everyone uses food to some extent as a coping mechanism. In the case of the morbidly obese person, it\u2019s the primary coping mechanism.<\/p>\n

Third<\/span>, most people don\u2019t get to the point of health-threatening obesity by binging. They did it by eating just 10 to 100 calories a day beyond their daily needs over a period of years.<\/p>\n

Fourth<\/span>, weight loss surgery isn\u2019t a magic cure. It\u2019s a highly effective tool, but it requires every bit as much effort, and maybe more, than a traditional diet. It works because most types of the surgery trick the body\u2019s physiology long enough to lose the necessary weight.<\/p>\n

Fifth<\/span>, whether the surgery is successful depends on how the person deals with the emotional issues surrounding their obesity and the subsequent loss of their excess weight.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where the book comes in. It\u2019s about emotions the weight loss will provoke not only in the patient, but in their family, friends and co-workers.<\/p>\n

Good marriages tend to get better; bad marriages tend to get worse. The spouse who\u2019d never had to worry about other men being attracted to his wife may have a hard time handling the attention she now receives. The overweight sister who\u2019d initially been supportive may turn hyper-critical of her now slimmer sibling. The bariatric patient who gets a promotion after losing fifty pounds may feel furious rather than ecstatic.<\/p>\n

Preparing for what may happen, understanding the emotions underlying the reactions and facing them, and learning healthier ways to deal with those emotions are critical to maintaining the weight loss.<\/p>\n

Even though I didn\u2019t know\u00a0 much about bariatric surgery when I began writing, it turns out that the surgery is really about striving to get better, dealing with life\u2019s problems head on, and having the will, optimism and strength to craft a better life for yourself\u00a0 – something all of us can relate to. I finished the book inspired by the stories patients had shared with me and glad I\u2019d taken the plunge with Dr. Nick to co-author the book.<\/p>\n

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