Weight Loss Surgery Does Not Cure Food Addiction

Food addiction is an extremely difficult disease that is misunderstood by the general public and by many medical and mental health professionals. Weight regain following extreme weight loss through medically supervised diet programs, fad diets, or weight loss surgery (bariatric surgery) is all too often followed by weight regain. Regain is largely attributed to not following through with “behavior modifications,” which are the focus in most weight loss programs. Behavior modifications include “eating less and moving more.” Those whose weight has gone up and down over time attribute their regain to “going back to old habits.” Understanding food addiction educates us about why it is so difficult for vast numbers of people to follow through with the behavior modification tools that actually do help the patients lose weight to begin with. Food addiction takes our brains “hostage” and makes it seem impossible for intelligent, well-meaning people who sincerely want to lose weight to say “no” to foods they realize will result in added pounds. Food addiction “hijacks” our rational minds and leads us to making decisions that will defy our weight loss efforts and goals. Those who choose to have weight loss surgery (bariatric surgery) often view it as “a last resort” for losing weight. They hope the surgery will result in dramatic weight loss, and will also help in sustaining that weight loss. It is a tragedy when patients who have elected to undergo a surgical weight loss procedure regain dreaded pounds in spite of having had good intentions to follow through with the behaviors necessary to keep the weight off. A hallmark of addiction is knowing there are physical and/or emotional problems caused, or made worse by a substance, and continuing to use the substance anyway. If food is leading to excess weight and physical comorbidities, such as high blood pressure, sleep apnea, high cholesterol and/or diabetes, and the patient is informed they need to lose weight in order to improve these medical conditions, but they are unable to change their eating habits, food addiction may be a reason. If people are depressed because of their weight and the limitations it places on their lives and the friction it causes in their relationships, and they want to lose weight but cannot seem to stop eating unhealthy foods, then food addiction may be a reason. If a person has both the disease of obesity and the disease of addiction (in this case, food addiction), treating only the disease of obesity will not result in long-term weight loss. Food addiction is a powerful disease that needs treatment at the same time a person is treating their obesity. Attempts to continue to “eat less” will fail if a person is a food addict and does not treat their addiction. The result will ultimately be weight regain, frustration and discouragement. Weight Loss Surgery Does NOT Treat Food Addiction is for people who have had bariatric surgery, are considering bariatric surgery, or for anyone who struggles with weight loss. In this book, I explain what food addiction is and why it must be addressed in addition to working on weight loss and weight maintenance. I also share tips and steps to take in order to address food addiction, as well as what it means to be in recovery from food addiction. Get ready to learn. Get ready to grow as a person by learning more about yourself in this educational, engaging and down-to-earth book. Join me on Facebook Live every Wednesday evening at 9 PM EST for a free program entitled Food Addiction: FAIR and FIRM. The videos from this series are also available on my website at www.conniestapletonphd.com/weight-loss/food-addiction-fair-firm/. Finally, please share this book with anyone you know who may be struggling with food addiction, whether or not they are a bariatric surgery patient. Food addiction can be treated! Get help now and get healthier and happier. Your Health. Your Responsibility. This Day. Every Day.