PREPARING FOR WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY

Obesity has quickly become an American epidemic. People suffering from significant overweight often have to contend with a lifetime of significant comorbidities, social stigma, and lower quality of life. Recently, more and more people are undergoing weight loss surgery as a way to resolve these issues. If you are working with pre- or post-operative bariatric surgery patients, your goal is to teach them the skills they need to ensure themselves a successful surgical outcome. After surgery, patients are required to adhere to a strict diet and the very specific recommendations of their surgical "team." Without a high level of commitment from the patient to follow these recommendations, the potential for maintained weight loss after surgery is very limited. Preparing for Your Weight Loss Surgery, Therapist Guide contains a series of scientifically tested cognitive-behavioral techniques to help you prepare your patient for the post-operative challenges of creating radically changed eating and lifestyle habits. It provides instructions for teaching your patient basic problem-solving and cognitive restructuring methods that will change their negative thoughts and attitudes about food. Interactive forms including food records and checklists, body image journals, and homework assignments found in the corresponding patient workbook round out this comprehensive treatment package.