If someone is considering WLS, what are the key things they need to think about?

Once people are exposed to the science of the ‘metabolic set point’, and then reflect on their own lived experience, it becomes a no-brainer to at least place bariatric surgery on the table for consideration.

One of the most common questions posed on social media forums, to post-surgery bariatric patients, is whether they harbour any regrets.

The most frequent response to these sorts of questions is the simple one liner: “I have one regret: That I didn’t do it sooner”.

Is it really that easy?

But, to be fair, this praise of the weight loss surgery scalpel is only one part of the picture. Bariatric life is hard work. It's not a miracle cure. If you go into the surgery expecting a miracle cure, you will be sorely disappointed.  You will, most likely lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time.

But then, in the absence of overarching lifestyle modification initiatives, much like any weight reduction exercise, you will eventually put that weight back on, leaving you feeling hopeless and despondent.

How to approach bariatric surgery

The bare-bones truth is that when you present yourself for the medical intervention, you also have to present yourself for some degree of spiritual, emotional, psychological and behavioural intervention. Your greatest commitment to yourself should be to do this work consistently and persistently for life, so that you can be sure of your long-term sustainable success.

Through my own experience, study of the academic literature, as well as countless hours working with bariatric patients, it is clear to me that the surgery assists with WEIGHT LOSS and removing weight in an unprecedented manner.

However, maintenance of that loss is often dependent on the ability of the individual to regulate emotion (so that we don’t “eat our feelings”), to withstand urges and cravings, to change habits and modify lifestyle. And these things don’t happen by chance, nor do they happen overnight.

They happen through concerted, consistent and persistent effort.