What Weight Loss Taught Me: Bariatric Care, Lived Experience and Listening | Series 1 Finale

In this final episode of Series One of Inside Bariatrics, I’m sharing a more personal reflection on my journey as a dietitian working in weight management, bariatric surgery, and relationship with food.

When I first entered dietetics, I thought I would find the “answer” to weight loss. I wanted to support people living in larger bodies who had experienced stigma and unfair treatment, and I believed that with enough knowledge and expertise, I would discover the key to helping people achieve lasting weight loss.

Over years of working in weight management clinics, supporting people using weight loss medications, and following people after bariatric surgery, I began to notice something more complex. Alongside the conversations about weight, food, and health, there was often another layer — one involving identity, shame, expectations, relationships, and the experiences people carry in their bodies.

In this episode, I reflect on:

• the moment that changed how I understood weight loss conversations
• what hundreds of bariatric surgery follow-ups taught me about the complexity of health and wellbeing
• the realities of positive and challenging experiences after bariatric surgery
• why weight loss interventions cannot be separated from the person experiencing them
• how discovering the field of eating disorders and relationship with food changed my clinical approach
• why I created Inside Bariatrics and my hopes for future conversations

I also share a little more behind the scenes about creating this podcast as an independent podcaster, clinician, business owner, and single motherhood.

My hope for this podcast has always been to create space for conversations that allow for complexity, nuance, and humanity. Conversations where lived experience is valued, difficult topics can be explored openly, and people feel seen beyond their weight.

Thank you so much to everyone who has listened, shared, and contributed to Series One. I’m incredibly grateful to every guest who trusted me with their stories and expertise.

If you would like to share your experience of bariatric surgery, considering surgery, living with weight-related interventions, or your clinical experience, I’d love to hear from you.

📧 Contact: aoife@centreforliberatingnutrition.com

Disclaimer: This podcast is for information and discussion purposes only and is not a substitute for individual medical advice.