I've got a new job! Bariatric Dietitian in the NHS

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll see that I got a new job!

I’m excited to announce I am now a bariatric dietitian in the NHS. 

Bariatric dietetics is about helping people living with obesity to lose weight. 

I’ve always been interested in weight management and although I enjoyed parts of my previous gastroenterology role, I knew I wanted to do more on the weight loss side of things.

I’m still very new to the role so once I’ve settled in a bit more, I’ll do a day in the life post but for now, I thought I’d talk more about bariatric (weight loss) surgery. 

Part of my role is supporting people before and after weight loss surgery.

What is bariatric surgery?

Bariatric surgery is for people that are obese to help them lose weight.

You may have heard of a gastric band, a gastric sleeve, or a gastric bypass. These are different types of procedures but all with the same aim – to help someone lose weight. 

The surgeries usually involve reducing the amount of food someone can eat and reducing feelings of hunger. The gastric bypass does this, and it also leads to malabsorption of food which increases weight loss.

Bariatric surgery changes how you eat forever. It’s not to be undertaken lightly and isn’t for everyone. It requires motivation, willingness to change, and lots of support.

Here’s a brief overview of the pros and cons of bariatric surgery. 

Pros of bariatric surgery:

Weight loss:

Obviously, bariatric surgery helps people lose weight. If someone is very obese this can seriously impact their health so losing weight is a huge benefit. 

Improved health conditions: 

Apart from weight loss, the surgery can also improve other aspects of someone’s health. Conditions like type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure can be improved after someone has had weight loss surgery. 

Improved quality of life:

Another benefit of the surgery is people’s lives can be improved. Carrying excess weight can make it difficult to do day-to-day activities like climbing the stairs or go clothes shopping. By losing weight, it can make parts of someone’s life easier.

Cons of bariatric surgery:

Health risks during and after surgery:

There is no surgery without risk of complications and all these risks apply to bariatric surgery too. There is a risk of blood clots, leaks, bowel obstructions and more. These can occur during the operation or afterwards.

Nutrient deficiencies:

This is more common with the gastric bypass, but any bariatric surgery increases the risk of deficiencies. This is because you’re not eating as much food, and your digestive system has been altered which affects nutrient absorption.

Weight regains:

People having bariatric surgery will likely remain in the overweight/obese category, but the weight loss is still a huge benefit. It’s also important to remember that someone may not lose as much weight as expected and may regain some weight later down the line. 

As I said, this is a general overview of bariatric surgery. If you’re contemplating it, I’d suggest speaking to a healthcare professional.

And if you're trying to lose weight but you're not at the stage of surgery, my weight loss E book is available on Amazon. 

I’m excited to get stuck into the role and I’ll keep you guys in the loop.

Bye for now! 👋