Bariatric Surgery: Informed Consent Resource

Bariatric Surgery: Informed Consent Resource
Rachel Stefaniuk, Sophie Lalonde-Bester, Jackie Liu, Asia Luna Patlis, Marisa Langton
Medical Students for Size Inclusivity, October 2024
Introduction
This resource was created by Medical Students for Size Inclusivity (MSSI), an international community of medical students dedicated to addressing weight bias in medicine. We have seen many patients undergo bariatric surgery aimed at promoting weight loss, and remain concerned that patients may receive misleading or insufficient information from their healthcare providers before undergoing these operations. While MSSI does not believe weight & BMI are accurate measures of health, or that weight loss improves health outcomes, we also champion patient autonomy. Weight discrimination permeates so many aspects of society, and the physical and mental harm it directly causes larger bodied people is immeasurable and far reaching. Our goal is to give patients desiring to undergo bariatric surgery to lose weight a more comprehensive understanding of bariatric surgeries, so they can make the most informed decisions about their care. Knowing what alternatives are available is part of full informed consent, so we also include evidence-based options for improving health that do not require weight loss.