Via practica 3/2023

The role of the psychologist in the management of obesity surgery

Obesity is a chronic disease therefore its treatment is long-term and difficult. The factors that cause and maintain obesity are likely to be lifelong. Thus, short-term pharmacotherapy or one-time education in regimen measures may not be sufficiently effective. The aetiology of obesity is multifactorial and therefore only an interdisciplinary approach has any hope of long-term treatment success. The basic approaches in the treatment of obesity are regimen measures and an increase in physical activity. If treatment by changing dietary and exercise habits is not sufficiently successful, pharmacotherapy and surgical treatment, bariatric and metabolic surgery can be resorted to. Although bariatric surgery leads to significant weight loss in most cases, a significant proportion of patients do not achieve relevant results (e.g. due to psychological problems). Preoperative psychological assessment and pre – and postoperative psychological support and care are necessary to achieve the expected postoperative results.

Keywords: obesity, surgical treatment of obesity, bariatric surgery, psychological assessment, psychological aspects, psychological care