𝗢𝗯𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗜𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗔 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝘄

Far too often, individuals internalize obesity as a personal failure. They believe it’s their fault, that if they had just tried harder, eaten less, or exercised more, they would have avoided the pain. But science tells us otherwise. Obesity is not about weakness. It’s about biology, genetics, and environment. It’s about metabolism, hormones, and a body that reacts differently to food and stress.

Patients often express feeling sidelined from life, watching others live while they suffer in silence. But when they finally hear that obesity has physiological roots, it opens the door to self-compassion and healing.

𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗔 𝗠𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲

You might come from a thin family, but that doesn’t mean your genetic blueprint didn’t come with predispositions. As one patient recalled, she was the only obese member of her immediate family but discovered that her grandparents struggled with their weight, one even spent her final years in a nursing home due to complications from obesity. These stories are common. Genetic factors like metabolic rate, hormone sensitivity, and how the body signals hunger and fullness can vary drastically from person to person.

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗜𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗢𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺

Fifty years ago, obesity was far less common. Today, we’re bombarded by ultra-processed foods and sedentary lifestyles. Even if your metabolism were neutral, you’d still be up against an environment that promotes weight gain. Add in genetically encoded responses and it becomes clear: it’s not just about behavior.

𝗪𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝗲 𝗔 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿

Mini gastric bypass surgery doesn’t just reduce stomach size, it resets hormones that influence hunger and fullness. It helps those who feel they’ve tried everything and failed finally find success. And yes, it works even for emotional eaters or those with psychological eating patterns. It corrects the internal systems that were working against them all along.

𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿

Surgery isn’t a finish line, it’s a new beginning. And that journey is made easier with support. Monthly meetings allow patients from all stages, 20 years post-op to two weeks out, to come together, share their stories, and encourage one another. Ongoing care, access to medical teams, and lifelong follow-up are essential components to long-term success.

If you’re ready to take control of your health, reclaim your confidence, and explore whether mini gastric bypass surgery is right for you, don’t wait. Contact Dr. Hargroder’s office today and begin your journey toward lasting change.

Contact the team today schedule your free consultation.

Video Transcript: 
"Hey, hey, hey.
All right, so, topic for today. Tell me in your words what you had in mind. I paraphrased it, but I didn't quite get it right.

Well, I had decided on the topic "Why did obesity find me?"
But just sitting here for a few minutes before we started, I realized I don't like that topic—and I’ll tell you why. It's painful. It’s absolutely painful and confusing. I don't know why I was the only obese person in my immediate family. It was miserable until I got to you—until I had the mini gastric bypass and finally understood why I struggled with my weight. My mom weighed 110, my dad 170, my brother was a hockey and soccer star... and then there was me. I used to wonder if I was adopted.

Trying to think of examples brought up a lot of painful memories. But it always has a happy ending now, so I don’t really mind. Let's explain why obesity found me.

Yeah. I like this topic because I think it’s an important one.
Sometimes we need to talk through painful things to understand them better. It’s sort of the theme of my book, Obesity Is Not a Character Flaw. I try to dissuade patients from beating themselves up.

A lot of people blame themselves, thinking, “This is all my fault. My life is miserable. I’m depressed. I hurt. I’m out of breath. I’m on the sidelines just watching life happen.” That brings a deep feeling of shame.

Yes.

Right—and that shame is reinforced by society’s prejudice. To finally have someone explain the physiology of obesity can be soothing and reassuring.

Yes, very much so. It takes away the embarrassment, the shame, the years of pain.
It makes you feel good about who you are. It allows you to be who you are.

Exactly. And what we're really talking about here is how weight loss surgery helps people break free of those feelings of worthlessness.
I’ve heard it so many times from patients—it really does feel like a prison sentence. Asking “Why me?” is a fair question.

You may have a healthy, thin mother and father, but if you could see your entire family tree, I bet you'd find plenty of obesity scattered throughout. Also, we're now living in an obesity epidemic that didn’t exist 50 years ago.

Yes.

That’s likely due to our modern lifestyle—our eating habits, ultra-processed foods, high-calorie, low-nutrient diets. And who knows, maybe even chemicals in our environment are contributing. There are theories about links to everything from obesity to autism.

You're absolutely right. Both sets of my grandparents were obese.
My mother's mother spent 13 years in a nursing home because no one could lift her—my mom was so small. I could see myself heading in that direction. Even as a kid, I had the same nickname my grandmother had. Once I crossed 300 pounds, I felt like there was no hope—I was heading down the same road.

Right. But the good news is, there is help.

Yes—you bet. The good news is, we found you and the mini gastric bypass. That’s why I chose this topic—because the journey does have a happy ending.
So explain exactly what happens in our bodies that makes us tend to be overweight?

That’s a big question.
Genetics plays many roles. One major one is your metabolic rate. I always say, jokingly, “Don’t hate me for this,” but my entire life—from high school through adulthood—I could eat whatever I wanted. Junk food, candy, chips, you name it, and I wouldn’t gain weight. I didn’t eat healthy, but I never really paid the price for it.

As a kid, I would sit on the counter and eat sugar by the spoonful. My sister warned me I’d end up fat and diabetic—but it never happened. That’s just my metabolism.

Now flip that. Some people, because of genetics and hormonal balance, are set up to gain weight. Their metabolism is slower, their hormones—like ghrelin and leptin—don’t regulate hunger and fullness properly. So while one person feels full after a little food, another doesn’t get that signal and keeps eating.

Some worry that emotional eating or psychological struggles mean surgery won’t work for them. But the surgery works—it resets those hormonal imbalances. You might need more support, sure, but there's no reason it can’t be just as effective for you.

We’ve seen it work over and over again.

And as we lose the weight, it gives us mental stability. It helps us like who we are again.
That’s also why support meetings are so important. Like our monthly Thursday night support group at Roscoe’s—it starts at 6 o’clock. You get to talk to people who had surgery 20 years ago, 10 years ago, or just two weeks ago.

Exactly.
That support helps people through the tough moments. I’m so glad we offer that from day one.

It’s one of the most important parts of our program—ongoing support.
We’re here for you five years later, 15 years later—anytime you need us. We’ll work with you to solve any problems.

We’ve got a good group signed up for tomorrow—about a dozen people already registered for Thursday night at Roscoe’s. It’s the first Thursday of every month at 6 p.m.

That’s wonderful.
And if anyone has questions about surgery, just call me at 314-807-7110. Again, 314-807-7110.

Perfect.

Yes, call me.

All right, Carla.
I wish you and Henry lived closer! Would love to see you at karaoke Thursday night—we’ll do it another time.

I sure will. Take care."