Bariatric Surgery and Eating Disorders with Dr. Marianne Miller
Just last year, The American Academy of Pediatrics put out (terrible) guidelines.
In a nutshell, these guidelines give the “go-ahead” to evaluate children for weight loss medication and/or surgery.
Weight loss surgery is completely irreversible. So why is it being recommended?
There are many challenges that individuals will face when deciding to undergo weight loss surgery. Not only the painful physical challenges but the mental and emotional ones as well.
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We live in a world that pathologizes fatness and has even named it a disease, “obesity.” Weight loss surgeries have been the “treatment” for the “disease.” Living in this world is hard for someone who lives in a larger body.
Every single day is a struggle.
But jumping into weight loss surgery may not be as glamorous as it’s made out to be. As Dr. Marianne Miller says, “There is no going back once a part of your body is amputated”.
There are minimal assessments conducted and an expedited decision-making process that lead up to this irreversible surgery. Clearly, this leaves room to overlook potential challenges.
We want to make it clear that we are not bariatric surgeons or medical professionals in the space of bariatric surgery. However, we are highly invested in the psychological and emotional implications as a result of the surgery. Together, we’re breaking down all the different pieces that you should really consider when you’re considering bariatric surgery.
Dr. Marianne has been in the mental health field for 27 years and has specialized in eating disorders for the last 12 years. She was a full-time academic for 12 years and had a part-time eating disorder practice for much of that time until she left the university and went into private practice full-time in 2018. Dr. Marianne loves working with eating disorders as a therapist and a coach. She takes a non-diet, feminist approach that helps people of all genders live empowered, authentic lives. She embraces the Health at Every Size model and is LGBTQIA+ affirming.
In this episode, we’re diving into:
Conversations surrounding weight loss surgeries.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) controversial guidelines recommend weight loss surgery for kids.
The psychological and personal aspects of how weight loss surgery affects individuals, particularly those with eating disorders.
The complexities when considering or undergoing bariatric surgery, include post-surgery struggles, complications, and mental health challenges.
The perceptions of obesity as a disease challenge the weight-inclusive perspective.
The societal acceptance of low-calorie diets.
Gastric bypass surgery as a solution to eating disorders.
Treating the disorder through therapy, rather than fixing it with surgery.
The mental, physical, and emotional results of gastric bypass or sleeve surgeries.
Weight is not a predictor of health.
Tweetable Quotes
"This idea of weight loss surgery is that it is completely irreversible. There is no going back.” - Rachelle Heinemann
"When they come out on the other end, they still have an eating disorder." - Rachelle Heinemann
"They say this whole procedure is to make people not hungry and not feel hunger basically switch off the part of their brain that regulates hunger and fullness cues. That’s so messed up" - Dr. Marianne Miller
“Everything's fine initially, but that eating disorder is never going to go away unless it's treated.” - Dr. Marianne Miller
“Even people who are recovered from an eating disorder, need to be in therapy throughout it [bariatric surgery].” - Dr. Marianne Miller
Resources
Follow Dr. Marianne Miller on Instagram @drmariannemiller
Visit Dr. Marianne Miller’s website https://www.drmariannemiller.com/
Related Episodes
Episode 93. Eating Disorders as a Way to Communicate with Dr. Elizabeth Hamlin
Episode 82. Secrets and Eating Disorders with Dr. Kathryn Zerbe
Episode 86. Medical Complications of Eating Disorders
Episode 78. Bone Health and Disordered Eating with Dr. Marci Goolsby
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Hey there! I’m Rachelle, the host of the Understanding Disordered Eating Podcast. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, I work with clients to make sense of life’s messy emotional experiences.
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