Alcohol use after Bariatric Surgery (Part 2)

CAUTION REGARDING ALCOHOL AFTER BARIATRIC SURGERY (part 2)

In my last note to you, I was talking about the potential dangers of alcohol consumption following bariatric surgery: one drink hits a person as though it were three drinks after surgery and within 90 seconds to five minutes a person is over the legal limit for intoxication.

To make things worse, alcohol results in disinhibition… meaning people do things “under the influence” they wouldn’t normally do. In the past fifteen years, travelling to many a WLS conferences, I’ve seen people engage in behaviors after drinking that I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t otherwise. I’ve seen people stumbling, heard them slurring, and watched them flaunt themselves in unflattering ways after having one drink. And when they’ve had several… don’t ask. Those lowered inhibitions following alcohol consumption also result in an “I don’t care” attitude when it comes to eating whatever a person wants and healthy new living habits go right out the window.

If you consider yourself a food addict, if you have addiction of any sort in your family or if you have struggled with any sorts of addictive behaviors in the past, do NOT drink after WLS. You’re a sitting duck for problems. GET HELP if you need it. Alcohol and other addiction problems won’t fix themselves. If you are struggling with any addiction, you are most assuredly not alone. Even if you have never dealt with addictive behaviors yourself or with anyone in your family, steer clear of alcohol after WLS. It is contrary to healthy living, adds empty calories to your life and potentially leads to unhealthy behaviors (including eating too much of the wrong foods).

Live healthy. Life fully! That is, after all, why you chose to have WLS in the first place!