from the Bariatric Times, Nov/Dec 2007: “Although bariatric surgical procedures are powerful tools in the treatment of obesity, patients and healthcare providers alike can feel frustrated by the difficulties of actually achieving postoperative weight loss objectives, particularly postoperative weight loss maintenance. One result of these surgical interventions is to bring the feeling of fullness into the patient’s consciousness in a dramatically amplified way. However, many obese patients have learned to actively ignore their inner regulatory signals concerning eating. Well established habits of disordered eating and dieting are supported by, and inextricably connected to, a chronic lack of attention to the psychophysiologic experiences of hunger, eating, and satiety. Although surgery can be extremely helpful in reversing these habits, it has limitations in combating years of dysfunctional eating patterns. In order to fully benefit from surgery, patients must retrain themselves to be attentive to their subjective experiences of hunger, eating, and satiety. Learning to eat mindfully—with full attention to the experience of eating—is an invaluable skill for individuals who have had, or are considering, bariatric surgery.”
For link to full pdf, go to: http://www.tcme.org/published_professional.htm