Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment

Running head: HEALTH CARE ETHICS
Health Care Ethics
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1HEALTH CARE ETHICS
We think that people who are morbidly obese should not have access to the surgery
until they have intentionally lost weight. In order to elaborate our thoughts over the negative
side of this topic, we would like to highlight few evidences.
Obesity has become a global health problem that is associated with several life-
threatening diseases and development of physical disability like type 2 diabetes mellitus
(T2DM) and coronary artery. It also hampers the dignity of the affected person as morbidly
obese individual suffers from social bullying and social stigmatization and isolation. Thus in
order to enter into the health lifestyle, dignity and to reduce the vulnerability of developing
chronic non-communicable diseases, initiatives of weight loss is important. There are few
studies like the study conducted by Kissler and Settmacher (2013) stated that long-term
results achieved through the application of the weight loss therapies like diet, medications
and exercise are comparatively poor. Thus in order to promote faster weight loss and to retain
the change for a considerable period of time, bariatric surgery is recommended. Bariatric
surgery is the most effective treatment of the obese individuals for promoting substantial yet
sustained eight losses while improving or simultaneously resolving the obesity related co-
morbidities and thus helping to reduce the mortality. Under this context, there are also
contrasting views. For example, the review conducted by Wolfe, Kvach and Eckel (2016)
stated that in order to promote sustainable weight-loss after conducting bariatric surgery, it is
important to maintain a healthy lifestyle habit otherwise, even after the conduction of the
surgery there lays a probability of gaining the additional weight.
In reference to this, I would like to highlight few similar points in order to strengthen
my position in this discussion. Schauer et al. (2017) are of the opinion that the majority of the
patients who have selected the option of bariatric surgery as a mean of achieving healthier
weight were successful however, for some patients this expensive process is not beneficial.
Immediate long-term success of bariatric surgery depends on the ability of the individuals to

2HEALTH CARE ETHICS
incorporate the lifestyle change and the associated behavioural change. Such that the patients
who are not successful in maintaining a healthy lifestyle by taking proactive initiatives are
bound to gain weight even after the conduction of the bariatric surgery. Sudden gain in
weight after conduction of the surgery is detrimental for the body and also increases the
chances of developing pre-surgical depression, binge eating, emotion-triggered eating and
poor self-esteem due to poor body image. All these psychological factors further promote
gain in additional body mass. Thus to ensure the bio-ethics of beneficence or for the
promotion of good, patients self-initiatives of weight-loss must be monitored before initiation
of the surgery.
To highlight the after-effects of the weight-gain post bariatric surgery, Liebl,
Barnason and Brage Hudson (2016) conducted a study and showed that an individual who
have gained weight after the weight-loss surgery are more vulnerable in developing type 2
diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease in comparison to the person who are obese and
have not conducted that surgery. This increased rate of vulnerability increases the rate of
mortality and morbidity among this obese group of individuals. Under the context of a
bariatric surgery Cooper et al. (2015) stated that weight gain is one of the most common
complications among the patients who are vulnerable to weigh-gain or have high cholesterol
level post the bariatric surgery. The mean weight-gain among the individuals who have
undertaken the weight-loss surgery is 23.4% of the maximum weight-loss. Thus to reduce the
gain in mean-weight and to prevent the chances of harm, self-active initiative must be
monitored. This opinion is further supported by the ethics of non-maleficence. However,
going against the wish of an individual and not to conduct the surgery must hamper the ethics
of autonomy. In such cases patient education about side-effects of sudden bariatric surgery
must be explained. This will help to secure ethics of autonomy and will also help to promote
good to the patient.