Imagine Me…, LLC

According to some reviews over 40 million Americans are affected with severe obesity.  Concern about health problems such as diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, heart disease, high cholesterol, joint problems and back problems resulting from obesity is continuing to increase.  Diet and exercise plans designed for weight loss are numerous.  Millions have tried these only to lose and regain weight.  So is bariatric surgery the magic that Americans are looking for after many failures with diet programs? Perhaps surgery is a good solution for some people and is necessary for their individual health issues.

Does the cost and medical risk always justify this choice? What about potential psychological problems associated with lifestyle changes? Have you considered differences in your relationship with your family and friends? How do you evaluate your chances for a successful outcome? These questions are extremely important.  Awareness and education before the surgery is crucial.  Many researchers fear that the surgery’s downside is being taken too lightly, especially as the surgical procedures have become increasingly available.

As a psychotherapist who has worked with eating disorders, food and body image issues for many years, I have seen some sad, tragic failures following poorly screened bariatric surgery.

For example I have worked with people who have regained their weight plus more, thinking that was impossible.  A few other situations include people who require periodic blood transfusions due to chronic anemia, medications are not absorbed, increases in depression or other mental health problems, embarrassment from vomiting in public, divorce, promiscuity or addiction to drugs or alcohol.  Many people cannot manage food or exercise before surgery and have a very difficult time with the specific requirements after surgery.  Many people believe their life will be perfect and they will have very few problems if they are thin.  Are you choosing surgery for health reasons or image?

I have seen both pre and post op complications which might have been avoided by a comprehensive assessment.  In my opinion a thorough evaluation cannot be done quickly.  Some people with failed results have reported they received one interview and were then told to find a mental health professional to approve surgery in one session.  They were not assessed for an eating disorder prior to surgery.  Some counselors have been asked to guarantee that an individual is a good surgical candidate and report that surgery is imperative.  Others have been asked to insure the person will attend counseling.  Surgery is a medical decision.  Counseling requires a commitment.  There are testing instruments and assessment tools available which can greatly assist your surgeon and medical team with managing your treatment.  I hope anyone considering gastric bypass or lap band surgery will be proactive and decide to seek a complete psychological evaluation which includes counseling before and after to learn appropriate coping skills. The cost of your evaluation is insignificant even if it is not covered by insurance.  Why would anyone make such an enormous decision and ignore this part? Please don’t underestimate the importance and the value of your psychological evaluation.

“Food babble” is an interesting phenomenon in our society. What is it? It’s a term we use that refers to the language people use in our society when they talk about food. When someone says “that’s good food or that’s bad food”, they are speaking food babble. When someone says “oh, that’s got too many carbs for me to eat”, or “that’s just too sinful, I can’t eat THAT”, we call that food babble. The way we speak is often brought on by the latest diet trend. Not too many years ago food babble was all about fat content in food. Everyone was learning to check food labels and talking about fat grams. Today, carbohydrates are the hot topic of food babble.

Wherever you go, whether on a retreat, to a party, at home or out to eat it is amazing how much food babble you can hear. It is also astounding how much you will say yourself without even realizing your are speaking babble. Imagine a weekend with over one hundred folks. Along with all their talking about which foods they can or can’t (or should or shouldn’t) eat, it is interesting to watch their behavior. In addition to regular mealtime, everyone has brought along snack food, chips, dip, chocolates, cheese, crackers, fruit and a vast assortment of other special treats. The conversation turns to how they shouldn’t eat any of those “bad” foods they had brought. Some go ahead and eat them, talking about how they are going to have to get back on their diets when they return home. It was as if they are given special food permission to eat these particular foods while they are away for the weekend yet they would not be allowed to eat them after returning home.

As we work with the complex issues surrounding eating disorders or with people hoping to improve their quality of life, it saddens us to see so many putting restrictions and rigid rules on themselves. Any time one makes a food a “forbidden” food, it sets that person up for harsh self-judgement and despair. As with almost everything in life, balance is the key. Eating some chocolate or some carbs is not going to make one overweight or unhappy.

Eating is a celebrated event in many cultures and our society has turned it into a fear-based event. People are often wondering, “is it safe to eat that?”, “will it make me FAT?”. We try to help people listen to their body cues and to trust their hunger and satiety signals. Eating when you are hungry, stopping as soon as you are full is a simple process most people have forgotten how to do. To us, it seems the diet industry is taking monetary and psychological advantage of people’s fear about food. Just listen to the commercials on TV or radio and you will hear all sorts of food babble. Along with promises of a better life, there is the constant pressure that we should fear particular types of food. It is overwhelming to see people spending so much time money and energy on trying to be perfect.

Are you willing to try for a day to catch yourself and go for a day without any food babble? Free yourself from the food babble frenzy and start enjoying the taste, energy and pleasure that food can give to each of you.