Weight Loss Surgery Is Good for the Whole Family

Around 200,000 people have the most popular gastric bypass procedure, Roux-en-Y, each year. Typically, patients will experience a dramatic loss of excess weight and improvement in their health. But there’s a secret benefit that was not examined until recently: other members of the patient’s family lose weight and get healthier, too.

The Power of Support

Social support is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal when you are engaged in any sort of improvement program.

Good for the Whole Family

Studies show that people who use weight loss support groups lose more weight and keep it off. It extends to other health improvements, as well. For instance, a smoker is 70% more likely to permanently quit cigarettes if a spouse stops smoking at the same time.

Dr. John Morton, who is the director of bariatric surgery at the Stanford School of Medicine, recruited 35 people who were going to have the procedure. In a study of the effects of weight loss surgery on the patient’s family, he followed them and their families for one year. The family members were asked to go with patients to all of their counseling sessions both before and after surgery.

The results were phenomenal. The patients, all of whom were morbidly obese at the start of the study, each lost an average of 100 pounds. Spouses and adult family members who participated in the study lost about 10 pounds on average. Children also saw improvements, losing several inches in waist size. (The children’s BMIs did not drop, as the kids were all growing during the study.)

How to Make This Work for Your Family

While the study was small, the benefits of mutual support are well-documented. A few ways that you can get your family involved in your personal weight loss goals and efforts:

  • Talk to your family about your decision to have weight loss surgery. Tell them what is involved and what sorts of changes will be necessary to help you lose weight and improve your health.
  • Bring family members with you to your counseling sessions.
  • Involve family members in menu planning. If they feel they have a say, they’ll be more enthusiastic.
  • Work out as a family. Instead of a chore, exercise can be a time to bond and play.

Suggested Reading

Long-Term Success with Weight Loss

How do you achieve weight loss success? Is it surgery, or a medical weight loss program, or is there some magic pill that only a few “lucky” people are aware of? Weight loss is achieved by a variety of paths. Millions of people have lost weight with bariatric surgery or a medical program but for many the result is temporary and a slow weight gain ensues that returns them to their starting point. This is not our definition of success.
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Eating and Exercise Behavioral Changes to Lose Weight

There are certain common factors that often lead to weight gain, such as consuming too many calories, leading a sedentary lifestyle, or some combination of both.
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Eating in Restaurants After Weight Loss Surgery

Dining out with friends or family can be a relaxing and heart-felt experience, but a weight loss surgery can change the dynamics of the experience. Although it is not necessary to avoid restaurants after weight loss surgery, your long-term success will rely on developing skills to handle social eating situations such as restaurants.
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