Posted on: November 28, 2007
Weight-loss Surgery Not One-Size-Fits-All
By CTW Features
Not everyone who undergoes weight-loss surgery should do it, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
One in five candidates for weight-loss surgery, also called bariatric or metabolic surgery, are not psychologically ready and should not be cleared. Those who are rejected and seek counseling have better luck the next time they seek such surgeries.
In a study of 500 weight-loss surgery candidates, 18 percent didn’t get psychiatric clearance. Rejections can be based on personality and drug-abuse orders, poor eating habits and failing to follow through on previous treatment plans. Some people are declined for surgery because they have unreal expectations.
“The goal is to determine if there are any problems that might interfere with the success of the surgery, and [then] have the patient get treatment for these problems,” said Dr. Mark Zimmerman, director of outpatient psychiatry at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence.
More than 200,000 people had weight-loss surgery in 2007, according to the American Society for Metabolic & Weight-loss Surgery. The surgery limits he amount of food a person can consume and is recommended for obese individuals who have a body-mass index above 30. Such surgeries can positively impact other conditions, such as diabetes and high cholesterol.
