Dr Forse, who is the surgeon who performed my gastric by-pass surgery in January 2011, insists that all gastric by-pass patient's need to become aware of and address their underlying issues. Dr Forse goes on to say that there are always underlying issues for bariatric surgery candidates, that is to say anyone with a BMI index ( body mass index) that's over 40 and who's tried diligently to lose weight and has ultimately failed, there is always something underneath- something psychological- that needs to be dealt with. Without getting to the root of and dealing with those issues, even bariatric surgery will not always be successful.
I am in total agreement with Dr Forse that long term success for a bariatric patient essentially requires three primary disciplines. First, a restriction of calories along with an understanding of what and when to eat. Second, lifestyle changes such as exercise and physical activity and third, the patient needs to identify and and understand how to deal with their underlying issues. This is why diets alone don't work. Diets are doomed to fail for a patient who ignores the psychological component of why they overeat.
Personally, I am ashamed to admit that it is only now that Dr Forse's words are sinking in to my thick skull. He has been telling me this for quite some time, but it is only recently that I "got it" and went to see a psychologist. I made the appointment, in part to search for a clinical diagnosis for the book that Dr Forse and I intend to write. I thought it was time to verify my self-diagnosis of obsessive compulsive personality disorder whih, I believed showed up as an inability to moderate much of my behavior, especially eating. I thought I was just wired differently that others and needed to learn to live with that. I am grateful to Dr Forse for being so patient with me and moving me in the right direction toward identifying my underlying issues. I was amazed at how wrong I was in my self diagnosis.
More to come on this subject in my next blog as we learn about the traits that drive me to distraction and consume more of my energy than the should. For now it is safe to say that I am encouraged by the information that I am gathering. Sixty two years old and I am still learning who I am and what makes me tick. Fascinating.