Emotions are the ‘key’ to weight loss, not surgery

RESORTING to stomach stapling to control food intake does not address the root cause of overeating and many who opt for such radical surgery fail to kick their bad habits, according to a world expert on obesity.

Dr Maurice Larocque, a medical doctor who specialises in the psychology of the overweight person, said the key to weight control was getting people to identify why they overeat and to take responsibility for their behaviour.

“I don’t think of surgery as a panacea. It doesn’t make people responsible for their behaviour and it doesn’t deal with their emotions. Even after a major operation such as gastric bypass [stomach stapling], people gain weight. I see five or six patients a week at my clinics who had surgery and their behaviour has not changed.”