I recently had a surgeon at work say to me that bariatric patients have a lot of emotional pathology. I'm fat, I pointed out, although I thought it was rather obvious. "The bigger you are, the more pathology" Huh? Maybe its the way you treat those patients. I had really respected her before this.

I finding that the popular theory rolling around bariatric centers now is that super obese (100 lbs overweight or more) have been emotionally, sexually, or phsically abused as children or adults, and need counseling as well as diet. Doesn't count if you already had counselling, you need emotional eating counseling. There may be truth in that, however I'm thinking its a wallet-ectomy they are interested in. I know there are bariatric docs who really care about helping people, but I'm beginning to get depressed if surgeons who work alongside bariatric surgeons think that all fat people are "a little crazy". Maybe its because you treat us like we are crazy. Maybe its because you immediately assume its because we are fat (and crazy) that we are a little anxious when you come into the room. I also know for a fact that fat people are emotionally abused by many people because they are fat. The fat actually came first. So yes, counseling can help, but don't assume the abuse. I know I was abused as a child, and recieved counseling, and was thin before the counseling, and kept the weight off for 14 years.

So hmmm, what do you think? Are we fat because of emotional issues or do we have emotional issues because we are fat, or is it something else?