Category: Bariatric Surgery

Do Bariatric Surgeons Think You’re Stupid?

We bring you the latest news and information related to bariatric weight loss surgery. Here is today's news:

Does the bariatric surgeon truly care about your health and wellbeing, or does the surgeon just view you as a dollar sign on legs?

In truth, this question could go one way just as easily as the other. There are plenty of bariatric surgeons in this country who truly care about their patients. There are also quite a few who simply want to get rich … the surgeons with the “rock star syndrome.”

The question is, how do you tell one from the other?

Well, there’s really no scientific way to get inside the minds of bariatric surgeons to learn their true motivations. But here’s something you might find useful in your research.

Slick Marketing Aimed at the Ignorant

Have you ever seen an advertisement like this on the website or brochure of a bariatric surgery center? I see these kinds of ads all the time while doing research online. Granted, the tongue-in-cheek nature of this ad is my own creation, but you get the idea.

Do you think I’m exaggerating with this mock advertisement? Look around the Internet at some of the leading weight-loss surgery websites and judge for yourself. How many use real patients, and how many have attractive models plastered everywhere?

If you ask me, this is a great way to judge the level of compassion a bariatric surgeon has, or the complete lack of it. This type of marketing is deceitful, in my opinion, because it gives the potential patient false hope. It uses stock photos of models and makes the suggestion — however subtle — that weight loss surgery helped them become what they are.

This kind of marketing insults the consumer’s intelligence. Right from the start, it shows that the surgeon or surgery center behind the marketing is willing to do just about anything to get your “business.” In many regards, that’s what bariatric surgery has become these days … just another money-making pursuit.

The number of bariatric surgeries has skyrocketed over the last decade. There are more surgeons today, which means more competition. The criteria bar has been lowered as well. Weight loss surgery used to be reserved for those patients who were morbidly obese (people who would soon die from their obesity).

These days, however, there are bariatric surgeons who will gladly operate on anyone, including teenagers and people who are just a little bit overweight. I’ve seen before-and-after pictures where the patient was just a little heavy before — something that could easily be corrected with minor lifestyle changes like regular exercise.

You’ve heard the marketing slogan that “orange juice is not just for breakfast anymore”? Well maybe the bariatric surgery industry should adopt the slogan: “Weight loss surgery … it’s not just for the obese anymore!”

I guess what I’m saying is this. If you have already decided to have some type of bariatric procedure, you have another important decision to make. You must decide on a surgeon to perform the procedure. In doing so, you must ask yourself some important questions…

Do I want a surgeon who uses aggressive marketing practices that border on outright lies? Can I really trust somebody who puts models on their website and brochures, with the “subtle” suggestion that the models have undergone bariatric surgery? Should I temporarily turn over my health and wellbeing to a company that prays on the ignorance of its intended audience?

Obviously, I cannot answer any of these questions for you. But if you’re reading this article, I have faith you’re smart enough to answer them for yourself.