This Surgery Can Lead to Weight Loss—But Stigma Is Harder to Shake Off

Science Quickly

Scientific American

Science

4.4 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 14 July 2025

⏱️ 16 minutes

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Summary

Each year more than half a million people undergo bariatric surgery, a procedure geared toward weight loss. But research shows that stigma around weight can continue to affect people’s lives even during recovery from the procedure. Larissa McGarrity is a clinical associate professor at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah and lead psychologist at the school’s comprehensive Weight Management Program. She and her colleagues assessed 148 people who received bariatric surgery before their procedure and one and a half and three years after to learn more about their physical, mental and emotional health over the recovery period. Recommended reading: The New Science of Diet, Weight and Health The Impact of Weight Stigma on Health E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover! Discover something new every day: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter. Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper, Naeem Amarsy and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was hosted by Rachel Feltman. Our show is edited by Alex Sugiura with fact-checking by Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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1:02.0	While the use of weight loss drugs is on the rise, they join a suite of already common interventions known as bariatric surgeries. The procedures used vary, but generally bariatric surgeries involve removing, restricting, or rerouting parts of the gastrointestinal tract to change the amount of food the stomach can digest or absorb.
1:14.6	More than half a million people undergo bariatric surgery globally each year.
1:19.6	The reasons for pursuing surgery are complex.
1:22.6	But a quick Google search makes one thing clear.
1:25.6	These procedures are most often framed and marketed as tools for weight loss.
1:31.3	That framing matters because in the U.S., research suggests that more than 40% of adults
1:36.3	report experiencing weight stigma or discriminatory attitudes or behavior based on body size at some point.
1:43.3	Such discrimination can obviously impact a person psychologically,
1:46.9	but it can also make it harder for them to access good health care.
1:50.7	You might assume that weight loss would reduce that stigma
1:53.8	or make it disappear entirely.
1:56.2	And while that's true for some people who undergo bariatric surgery,
1:59.8	a significant number don't
2:01.2	have that experience.
2:03.2	Our guest today is Larissa McGarrity, a clinical associate professor for the School of Medicine
	...

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