Client Quote #52: surgery

Let’s take a moment to examine this person’s experience with their medical team. Putting ourselves in their shoes, what would this comment evoke emotionally for you if you heard this from your care team? 

Now, let’s add some context. 

• What if your entire family has always been in bigger bodies? 

• What if you were someone who had tried every diet under the sun to lose weight already and has never been successful before? 

• What if no matter how hard you’ve tried to exercise you’ve not been able to attain a smaller body sustainably? 

• What if some of the medications have contributed to your weight and “lifestyle changes” will have little impact on your body weight? 

• What if in the past the only thing that led to some degree of weight loss included severe caloric restriction, purging, and over-exercising?
  

If you notice feelings of anxiety, fear, overwhelm, hopelessness, shame, guilt, and distress, that would make a lot of sense. If you notice urges to immediately jump on a rigid diet and exercise plan, you’re not alone. Many of my clients sank into an ED after a fearful, weight stigmatized medical recommendation.

Is it a controversial stance to take to oppose weight limits for life-saving surgery? When weight isn’t entirely within an individual’s control? What do you think?

If this is an experience you resonate with, it’s important to talk to your ED care team because we would love to have a conversation with your surgeon.