DR YOUNAN NOWZARADAN

The specialist, who works at Houston Obesity Surgery, was a pioneer in minimally invasive bariatric surgery and performs all of the gastric bypasses on the show

Why doesn’t surgery always work?

Dr Nowzaradan is known for accepting patients other doctors have turned away for being “too high risk” for weight-loss surgery. His various methods change the gastrointestinal anatomy, reducing a desire to eat and increasing feelings of fullness. Still, it isn’t always a success. “Not realising how much of their struggle is psychological can be the biggest obstacle for patients,” he says. “Once we remove the physical compulsion to eat, it’s the best time to address those other issues, which could lead to long-term success.”

How to keep the weight off

“Surgery is only a tool to lose weight,” he says. “It’s not a perfect tool for changing behaviour and eating habits. Patients need to understand their eating disorder and what’s driving them to overeat. If they can figure that out, they might not even need the surgery.” He also practises what he calls “tough love” with some of them. “My job is to find a way to get them to a healthy place,” he says. “I need to find ways to motivate them.”

How family can help (and hinder)

“Families can be enablers and encouragers to people who overeat,” says Dr Nowzaradan. “So if they want to be successful, they either need to change their dynamic with the enablers or remove them from their environment.” ■