The problem of obesity is a national as well as a global health issue. From a global perspective, according to data published by the International Obesity Task Force, at least 1.1 billion adults are overweight, and 312 million of these are obese. Approximately one-third of American adults have obesity, a disease defined by a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30kg/m. According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), The State of California has a rate of 24% obesity. Unfortunately, all 50 states have a rate over 20% and 12 have rates over 30%. This data is collected from the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which is a self-report of weight and height. Goldberd and Limbrunner state that bariatric surgery can perform miracles in changing weight and radically decreasing comorbidities in the obese patient, but it is just a tool and does not change the patient’s mental state. A significant number of candidates for bariatric surgery have a psychiatric diagnosis such as depression or anxiety prior to surgery. A psychiatric diagnosis can impact weight loss outcomes and success. The group support environment can provide a safe environment for emotional and social learning. Most importantly, the group can provide a sense of belonging. The EBP framework utilized for this project was the Model for Evidence-Based Practice Change by Larrabee. To facilitate the implementation of Larrabee’s EBP Model, the outcome management framework, Six Stigma; the adult learning theory of Andragogy; and the Situational Leadership Model were integrated into the EBP steps as approrpriate. The objective of this project was the successful implementation of a bariatric support group. The selected outcome measures focused on practice change and included: (1) development of applicable psychoeducational curriculum, (2) implementation of the support group pilot with a multidisciplinary team approach, and (3) provider satisfaction with the program design and implementation approach. An evaluation survey was administered upon completion of a pilot study of this project to obtain feedback on the appropriateness of the objectives, the content, the speaker’s presentation skills, and the overall program. The results indicated that the program objectives, content, and speaker skills were appropriate.The provider participants rated the overall program a mean score of 4.6 out of 5.0 on a 5-point Likert scale. A support group is a valuable tool in managing weight loss post-bariatric surgery. It is important that this modality is offered to patients consistently and that providers are willing to meet the needs of these individuals. Also, it is critical that the insurance companies offer this service through their plans and provide adequate reimbursement.
