Mind Your Body TV Episode 34 with Scott Cunneen, M.D.
Welcome to our second Mind Your Body TV video with Dr. Scott Cunneen, director of bariatric surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Yes, we’re talking weight loss surgery or about bariatric surgery here—again, because frankly, for many people it is the last option.
Of course, it’s not the only option. In the preface to his new book, “Weighty Issues, Getting the Skinny on Weight Loss Surgery,” Dr. Cunneen explains why weight loss surgery is a choice. He speaks…
Why see a bariatric surgeon
“Sure, my patients show up because they want to lose weight, a lot of weight, but not just because they think they have a shot at the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. They come in because of their deteriorating health. They’re diabetic, or hypertensive, at risk for heart attack or stroke, their kidneys are failing, their hips and knees are shot from carrying so much extra weight. They have gall bladder problems, back problems, sleep apnea. Or any combination of the above. Regardless of age, they do not feel as well as they can or should.
Others come in because they are desperately unhappy. Society is cruel to overweight people. They are stared at, scorned or thought of as weak and self-indulgent. They may not interact with friends easily or have a significant other in their lives. Salaries and employment opportunities are often affected by bosses’ attitudes toward overweight workers, thinking them either lazy or a poor insurance risk that will drive rates up.
People who are overweight often feel invisible. They’re uncomfortable in their own skin. They’re unhappy and unhealthy and all they want is to be heard—and seen—for the person they are inside…and many of them don’t even know who that person is yet!
Whatever the reason, whatever the physical or psychological malady my patients bring with them, the common thread is that they want to‘fix it.’ Now. They’ve tried everything, they tell me, and now they need help.”
More about bariatric surgery
I’m sure you’ll find this interview enlightening even if you aren’t considering bariatric surgery. After all, you have wondered about it, haven’t you? Many of your questions answered here.