Bariatric Surgery Patients ― A Nutritional Guide

"Approximately 65% of our population is overweight and 12% are morbidly obese. This is despite more than 25 years of attempted medical management. Clearly all current efforts have failed to control this enormous problem. Could it be that we have failed to recognize the cause of the disease and therefore have misdirected our efforts?" — Alfredo Fernandez, MD, FASMBS, Surgeon, Tampa, Florida

Reducing obesity through bariatric surgery provides a sustainable weight loss regimen, because it restricts the size of the stomach and limits food intake. However, the surgery limits the amount of nutrients absorbed by the stomach and small intestine. This book provides a comprehensive, practical guide on pre- and post-nutrition considerations in bariatric patients. It describes surgeries including gastric bypass, lap band, and sleeve; nutrition protocols for surgery patients; pregnancy considerations- pre- and post-surgery; food consumption post-surgery; advancing healthy food intake after surgery; minimizing negative side effects; and recommendations to maintain healthy diet.

This nutritional guide provides health care practitioners descriptions and answers to the many questions bariatric surgery patients need to know and ask in support group meetings and individual counseling sessions. The first chapter focuses on Selling Obesity and Food as a Cheap and Legal Drug, outlining how food advertising, portion size increases, and food frauds have contributed to the obesity crisis. New research into gut hormones, microbiome influence on obesity, firmicutes, and histamine are included, as well as pregnancy after bariatric surgery and lifestyle changes—eating, sleep, hydration, stress management—needed for success after surgery.

Many health care practitioners will use the Post Op Discharge Diet stages of progression to explain how the patient needs to prepare for their liquid diet and overcome numerous issues like dumping syndrome, hypoglycemia, and alcohol and caffeine consumption. Diet plans for Ketogenic, Mediterranean DASH, Glycemic, and Low FODMAP are included within this book.

Betty Wedman-St Louis,PhD. is a licensed nutritionist specializing in digestive diseases, diabetes, cancer and environmental health issues who has been a practicing nutrition counselor for over 40 years. Her BS in Foods & Business from the University of Minnesota introduced her to how the food industry influences eating habits. Dr. Wedman-St Louis completed her MS in Nutrition at Northern Illinois University where she studied the relationship between prolonged bed rest and space flight weightlessness nutrient requirements. She had a private practice at the Hinsdale Medical Center before completing her PhD in Nutrition & Environmental Health from The Union Institute in Cincinnati. Dr. Wedman-St Louis completed her doctorate internship at WUSF-Tampa in Multi-Media Production for distance learning and online course development.

Dr. Wedman-St Louis is the author of numerous published articles on current nutrition topics including phosphates in food, folate, Vitamin B12, seafood nutrition, alpha lipoic acid and diabetes. She has authored columns for The Hinsdale Doings, Chicago Sun Times and Columbia Missourian and has taught undergraduate and graduate courses on nutrition. She currently writes a personal health column for the Tampa Bay Times and maintains a private practice in Largo, Florida.