It will be recommended that any person who will have or already has had weight loss surgery become involved in a bariatric support group. Such a suggestion will probably lead to the logical inquiry about what happens in such a support group.

You might be given bare bone explanations such as a bariatric support group will help you to work through the emotional and psychological issues that present before and after weight loss surgery. That's great, but what exactly are those emotional and psychological issues?

You might be told that a bariatric support group can help you to successfully address the challenges that will accompany weight loss surgery. Again, that's great, but what exactly are the challenges that will accompany weight loss surgery?

These are all good and legitimate questions that merit good and legitimate answers.

The Preoperative Benefits of a Bariatric Support Group

Once the decision about having weight loss surgery is finalized, the process of change begins. The first benefit of a bariatric support group will be the interaction and companionship that comes from a shared and common experience. Those in the group are most likely experiencing the same concerns, hopes, and feelings that you are around weight loss surgery.

Preoperative education will be about the things that will enhance post-weight loss surgery outcomes. Subject matter will include nutrition, exercise, and pre-weight loss surgery needs such as physical and psychological assessments to insure proper assignment of counselors and medical professionals.

Preoperative education also will include an introduction to behavior modification. Determinations will be made about the patient's eating habits, knowledge about nutrition, and readiness to comply with post-bariatric surgery protocol. Some determinants for readiness might be ability to maintain a weight loss journal, weight loss prior to surgery, keeping appointments, and participation in a group environment.

The Postoperative Benefits of a Bariatric Support Group

The post operative benefits of a bariatric support group include a shared learning about personal experiences and the experiences of group members at different stages in the weight loss surgery recovery process. Sharing will reduce the anxiety that accompanies change and also will help mend the emotional bruises that occasional failures produce along the way. Finally, a bariatric support group can help establish more realistic expectations about success.

Challenges After Weight Loss Surgery

Some of the challenges that will surface after weight loss surgery that a support group can help address are learning to accept responsibility for feelings and behaviors, learning to address these feelings and behaviors without a relapse into over-eating habits, learning to adjust to a change in eating habits, and accepting the labor that is required to keep the weight off after gastric bypass, gastric sleeve, and other bariatric surgeries.

Provisions of a Bariatric Support Group