Does Bariatric surgery really help me lose weight? If you take the recommendations and the precautions that your weight loss doctor gives you, these types of surgeries are going to help your shape and help function better your digestive system. Bariatric surgery works helping you out with conditions related to obesity such as diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, and risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

Be mindful that weight- loss surgery is only one part of an overall treatment plan. Your treatment will also include nutrition guidelines, exercise and mental health care to help you develop emotional and dietary guidelines to control your weight.

For weight- surgery to work, you will need to be willing and able to follow this long-term plan to achieve your weight-loss goals.

Weight loss after surgery depends on your ability to change behaviors in eating and exercise. Also, being in good mental health is important for the demands of following your treatment plan. Your team’s goals are to identify psychological or behavioral risk factors, address any problems, and help you stay on track with new eating habits.

Your health care team will talk with you about the following:

• Are you motivated to embrace lifestyle changes, set goals and educate yourself about healthy nutrition? It is important that after surgery, you track your ability to follow recommended changes to your diet and exercise routine.
• Weight-loss history.  Patterns in weight loss and weight gain can help your team understand challenges for you and recommend strategies for post-surgical plans.
• Eating behaviors. Irregular eating behaviors or eating disorders may contribute to obesity. These include binge eating, nighttime eating and unplanned grazing between meals. Some eating disorders are associated with other mood disorders and other mental health conditions. Be aware of these after you get your procedure done.
• Mood disorders. Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or other mood disorders are associated with obesity, and these conditions may make it difficult to manage your weight. Also, people with untreated mood disorders often find it difficult to stick with new diet and exercise habits after surgery. Please ask your doctor about mood disorders and educate yourself in your condition if you have one.
• Alcohol and drug use. Problems with alcohol or drug use, as well as smoking, are associated with poor weight loss and continued substance use problems after surgery. Untreated or unmanaged problems likely prohibit the option of weight-loss surgery.
• Suicide risk. There is an increased risk of suicide among people who have undergone weight-loss surgery. The risk is higher among people with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, substance use disorder, schizophrenia or other disorders.

If anything, all these recommendations are guidelines and suggestions for you to be aware of your eating habits and pre-existing conditions that might get on the way of your weight-loss journey.

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