Can Weight Loss Through Bariatric Surgery Improve Mental Health?
Individuals who struggle with their weight may also face mental health challenges, like poor self-esteem and depression. Bariatric surgery can produce dramatic weight loss results, which not only improves general health but can also have a positive effect on overall mental health.
If you’ve struggled to maintain a healthy weight and it’s affecting your mental health, bariatric surgery may be right for you. At Tijuana Bariatrics, our team coordinates bariatric surgery with board-certified surgeons in Tijuana, Mexico, and can help you reach your weight loss goals.
How Does Weight Affect Mental Health?
Obesity is often thought of as a general health problem that can increase the risk of conditions like heart disease, diabetes, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure. Although general health is a concern with obesity, one area that often gets overlooked is mental health.
Obesity can affect mental health, causing some people who struggle with their weight to develop conditions like depression, anxiety, agoraphobia, eating disorders, and poor body image. Further, some people who are overweight experience weight discrimination, meaning they’re mistreated or not treated fairly because of their size, which can further impact mental health.
Improving Mental Health with Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery
Of course weight loss alone won’t solve all mental health problems but it can significantly improve quality of life which often positively impacts mental health.
The following are just a handful of ways losing weight with bariatric surgery can help Tijuana patients improve their mental health.
Improved Self-esteem and Body Image
For some people, being overweight causes them to feel poorly about how they look. This can affect body image and self-esteem. Struggling to lose weight through diet and exercise alone can contribute to negative feelings.
Bariatric surgery can help those who have struggled to lose weight reach their weight loss goals and feel more confident with their bodies.
Can Help with Certain Chronic Health Issues
Being overweight can affect general health and lead to chronic health issues. Losing weight with bariatric surgery and making the lifestyle changes required with bariatric surgery can help improve overall health. Some patients will see an improvement in chronic health issues, like hypertension and joint pain, after they have reached a healthy weight.
Helps Increase Physical Activity
Bariatric surgery can help people become more active. Losing weight can help make exercising less stressful to the joints and seeing weight loss results is also a good motivator to continue exercising. Being more physically active may also help increase endorphins, the body’s “feel good” hormones.
Helps Change Relationship with Food
Some people who struggle with their weight develop an unhealthy relationship with food. Emotional eating and food addiction are real issues that affect mental health. Bariatric surgery can help patients learn to change their relationship with food.
Bariatric surgery requires patients make changes to how they eat and the types of foods they eat, replacing unhealthy foods, like fried foods and foods high in fats and sugar, with more nutritious foods. Eating healthier foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables, can help people feel more energetic which in turn can help with mental health.
Feel Happier and Confident
Weight gain can sometimes make people feel depressed, embarrassed, or ashamed. Everyone deserves to feel good and comfortable in their bodies. Losing weight with bariatric surgery can help people feel more confident in their bodies and happier with their appearance.
Schedule a Consultation with Tijuana Bariatrics
Bariatric surgery can have a positive impact on both physical and mental health. If you are struggling with your weight and want to find out if bariatric surgery is right for you, schedule a consultation with our bariatric surgery office in Tijuana.
