Are we doing enough to ensure that no one is left behind in the fight against obesity? What if bariatric surgery is not just about weight loss, but about treating a chronic, misunderstood disease?

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Richard Peterson, the newly elected president of the ASMBS, to talk about his mission to No One Left Behind. From his military roots to his passionate advocacy, Dr. Peterson delves deeply into why obesity is considered a disease, how bariatric surgery is a critical form of medical care rather than a cosmetic procedure, and what must change to ensure equitable access, education, and support for all.

Tune in, and don’t forget to join the BariNation community to attend community meetups, watch exclusive bonus content and support the podcast for as low as $5 per month!   

IN THIS EPISODE:

• (03:47) Dr. Peterson shares his professional background and the mission of ASMBS
• (10:40) As president, past initiatives will move forward and the discussion of bias toward obesity
• (18:01) Dr. Peterson’s mission is a call to action to “No One Left Behind,” which stems from his military background
• (31:06) Bariatric surgery is not a cosmetic procedure. Obesity is a disease
• (40:40) The importance of obesity education and why obesity not being associated with a specific organ was a game changer
• (49:06) Words matter, you aren’t just losing weight, you are fighting obesity
• (54:55) If you are suffering from obesity, you can get help. The mission is to remove the barriers

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Dr. Peterson’s theme is “No One Left Behind," focusing on ensuring access to obesity treatment for all patients, supporting practices, and fostering unity across the bariatric community.
• Dr. Peterson continues efforts to reduce shame and stigma by educating medical professionals and the public that obesity is a disease, not a personal failing.
• Initiatives focus on integrating obesity education into medical curricula and advocating for comprehensive treatment access to enhance patient care.

RESOURCES:

• BariNation Website 
• Join the BariNation Membership community meetups to support you on your journey with obesity treatment. https://barination.com/pages/join-our-community
• Want to see bonus content? Head over to https://www.patreon.com/BariNationPodcast to get more and support the podcast for as low as $5 per month!    

OTHER RESOURCES: 

BariNation - Email

GUEST RESOURCES:

ASMBS - Website

Dr. Richard Peterson LinkedIn

UT Health San Antonio 

BIOGRAPHY: 

Dr. Peterson serves as the Chief of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery for UT Health San Antonio and is the medical director of the Christus Weight Loss Institute at Westover Hills.

Dr. Peterson is highly active in both clinical and academic aspects of bariatric surgery. He is the current president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons (ASMBS), a past president of the Texas Association for Bariatric Surgery (TABS) and has chaired several committees for the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), including the Public Education Committee and the Communications Committee. He moderates and runs the largest online bariatric journal club on Facebook and serves as the Social Media Editor for Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases (SOARD), the official journal of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). 

ABOUT:

If the BariNation podcast helps power your bariatric journey, become a monthly podcast supporter and help us produce the show! Visit www.barinationpodcast.com and help us support people treating the disease of obesity with humor, humility, and honesty.

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April Williams: You've just tuned into a podcast that welcomes you into a community, a resource center, and a safe place that powers your [00:00:15] journey towards personal wellness.

Natalie Tierney: Our goal is you leave us today feeling hopeful, inspired, and ready to live your best bariatric life.

Richard Peterson. Well, we had the honor of interview him before the conference, and he shares with us his mission and vision and theme for his [00:01:00] presidency. He's gonna join us today and he's going to share with you how he arrived at it and how he envisions living out his goals for this year. Christine, what's kind of your big takeaway from our conversation with him today?

His dedication to the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons, um, is years long. So he [00:01:45] has been able to really take the information that his predecessors have started and be able to build upon them. And what we're really excited about is that we're going to be able to share that with you right after he has announced his [00:02:00] platform to the medical community that is focused on this disease and its management.

So we're excited to be sharing all of that education and more all the things that we took away with you this year in this podcast and in the Berry Nation membership community. So stay tuned for all of that. Alright, friends, here's this amazing episode with Dr. Richard [00:02:45] Peterson. Hello friends. Welcome back to the Very Nation Podcast.

Today we have an extremely special episode for you, Dr. Richard Peterson, the new president of the A-S-N-B-S is joining us. Hi, Dr. Peterson.

April Williams: Good. We're so thrilled to be able to welcome you. This is, this episode is dropping really the first week, official week of your presidency of A-S-N-B-S.

Dr. Richard Peterson: Yeah.

April Williams: Yep. Well, that is definitely our mission today. Uh, before we dive into the meat of our conversation, will you take a moment, Dr. Peterson, and introduce yourself to anybody that doesn't know [00:03:45] you yet?

Dr. Richard Peterson: Oh, I appreciate that. Yeah.

And, uh, have done my best to serve in some leadership roles all along the way. And [00:04:15] obviously this last, last few years have, uh, have really put me into a different position to be able to, to do what I hope is to be able to help more people.

Right. Better treat the disease of obesity?

So, uh, we understand that. And again, the vision is to improve global health and quality of life, uh, to reduce the impact of [00:05:00] obesity and the, you know, o the obesity related, uh, illnesses that go along with that. Um, and that's not just here, but we do promote worldwide. Um, the, the A-S-M-B-S is the largest metabolic.[00:05:15]

April Williams: And

Dr. Richard Peterson: from

Right. The ass MBS is critically important because you're setting guidelines for, for patient care. Right. Standards for [00:06:15] care. You're advancing surgical techniques, whether it's laparoscopic or or robotic. And you are introducing surgeons in really everybody in obesity medicine world to the most recent advancements, advancements in care, in treatment.

Dr. Richard Peterson: Right. And you know, I, I love that you say that the, you know, I've been a, again, I said I've been a part of it for a very long time and, uh, you know, I started out, um, really locally here in Texas, uh, and our state [00:07:00] chapter and our state chapter at the time, that was before the A-S-M-B-S had created individual state chapters, uh, Texas, uh, there was a couple of other states, I think three other states that had sort of seen the idea and did their own sort of state chapters if you'll, um, [00:07:15] but the benefit was when we first started, uh, it's called tabs, Texas Association of Bariatric Surgery.

So it wasn't lost. One of the things though, um, my first role in the A-S-M-B-S was as chair of the Public Education Committee, and so ties right back to, you know, [00:08:00] patience. You know, we need to, we wanna educate the public and the as MBS has been striving for a very long time to be the forward facing place for people to come for answers.

Um, however. Uh, during Dr. Lama's presidency, which was, uh, now she's our senior past president [00:08:45] or was our senior past president now at the time of this, um, one of her initiatives was to put forward a website that was very user-friendly for both professionals as well as our patients, um, or [00:09:00] potential.

April Williams: Mm-hmm. The, the patient resources and education that's available on the as MBS website is really extensive. So if you're listening and watching this podcast and you're thinking about undergoing a bariatric procedure, every type of surgery is [00:09:30] outlined there.

Dr. Richard Peterson: Yeah. And April, I apologize because I know I said it, and as I said it, I was like, I don't think that was right. It's asg. So, um, just again, yeah. Little, little thing. I'm sure you'll have it down in the comments and Oh, yeah. And whatnot, but [00:10:00] just, yeah. So someone was just listening, uh, org.

April Williams: Oh yeah. No, we'll make sure we direct 'em in the right, in the right spot.

Thanks,

So where do we go from here? What is, what, what's your plan as we're moving into a new year of as MBS presidency?

And so it is a really nice place to be. So, uh, you, if you see us all working together, you, you totally get that and see that. [00:11:00] And, you know, I. While I'm gonna have, and we'll talk about those in a second, my own initiatives, um, one of the biggest things is that each president continues to carry those projects forward from the last president, [00:11:15] which is a unique thing in our, in, in our organization.

You know, when you first get there, you start thinking about things you are gonna be doing, but also you're [00:11:45] involved in the other projects that are there so that you can continue to carry that message. And, uh, the projects that are the long haul, the five years, you know, kind of thing, they, they get done.

Obesity is a disease. It is not a problem. It's not a willpower issue. It's not a, I don't wanna, uh, exercise. It's not, I'm lazy. It's none of those things. And that is propagated in our, you know, [00:12:30] throughout the community. Um, you know, and that, that is just, it's just not true. Uh, the truth is it's a disease and so big parts of our public education campaign and what we put out there is to go out and try to educate [00:12:45] people that it's a disease, but also educate, you know, those people who are caring for people that it's a disease because we have a, you know, there's a huge bias not only, you know, uh, within the community, but also in the healthcare community, [00:13:00] right?

Have had a large impact. And, um, and there are some unintended consequences to that. Uh, one of which is that, you know, surgery, uh, numbers have gone down, [00:13:30] but what would I say is the most positive silver lining of that, more than anything is that people see obesity as a disease now because, you know what?

There's a, there's a pill, there's a shot. So then it must be a disease if you could do that.

April Williams: Mm-hmm.

You know, my very first year of residency, [00:14:00] uh, I saw, you know, we built bariatric program and I've.

Or have you seen that? Or, or there's talk about other things, but in general it's just a way for some kind of rapid communication, um, amongst colleagues. Uh, but one of [00:14:45] the things, you know, I kept hearing over and over is, you know, my practice is suffering. We're seeing decline. How are you guys doing?

Okay? We've, we've heard it and we see it. We know it's there. Uh, and our numbers that are out there, um, hopefully will, you know, we're delving into it to truly reflect what's really going on. But what I felt was [00:15:30] more important than anything, and, uh, I'm, I'm not, I'm so long answer leading up to my theme of my meeting theme of my year.

But we flew 1500 miles to like, see each other. Um, so we're going around and doing our visits and we were talking about, you know, advancement for, you know, treatment of the disease of obesity [00:16:15] and really being specific about, you know, we know surgical, you know, uh, procedures are covered, but medications aren't very well covered, um, on that level.

Right. So she'd been on something that had worked very well for her and now no longer had coverage. So, so that's one. So pin in that part right there. Keep that in mind as we talk about it. The next one was [00:17:00] surgeons, uh, and practices saying, I don't know what's going on. Our numbers are down. How are you gonna help me?

And so I. I've always had that in my mind. Anyway, that's kind of how I grew [00:17:45] up. But that was important to me. And so I served my military time. Um, I did my fellowship, did my fellowship, then I did my military time after that. So I was a bariatric surgeon in the, um, in the Air Force, but also trauma surgeon, you know, for the [00:18:00] deployments.

So that's my commitment to [00:18:30] the, you know, to our membership, uh, to our patients that we are gonna go forward and we are going to make sure. Everyone has do the best we can to get everyone access, to improve volumes for everyone. [00:18:45] Um, and that's one of the problems right there is there is the volume. You know, we talk about only treating 1% of all patients who are eligible for metabolic and bariatric surgery.

[00:19:15] And so we are leaving lots of people behind, even though we're not intentionally doing it. So how do we move that? And I think that that's something else we, you know, we're gonna be talking about.

The backstory of it, to know that your theme for this medical society is so deeply [00:19:45] grounded in that patient experience is beyond inspiring for, for us to hear For so many years, I think we felt the patient that our, our voice wasn't a part of the discussion or we didn't feel it had a place, or we [00:20:00] felt it was discounted by people, even in the medical community.

Dr. Richard Peterson: You know, it.[00:20:30]

I came in as the, well, at the time when I was elected, it was called Secretary Treasurer. We've done some organizational, um, improvements. I think overall we, you know, we're no longer an executive council, but we're actually a board.

April Williams: Mm-hmm.

Yeah. Um, and so I came in really, I had no, no plan. And, and I mean that purposely, I mean, I was a blank [00:21:00] slate. I wanted to, I didn't have an agenda. I didn't have, I must do this. Like I had ideas, but I let them percolate, you know, for the first two years, um, as you know, the now vice president and president-elect.[00:21:15]

You just don't do that.

April Williams: Yeah. And

And then I had another conversation, and then our, [00:22:00] I talked to our executive director, um, and our, uh, vice president for strategic governance who's part of, you know, a lot of our calls. And I'm like, okay, like, just tell me. I, I mean, it's, it's a little bit much, right? And they were like, no, no, we love it. We love it.

Because I kept feeling like, oh my gosh, I have no idea what my theme's gonna be. I've gotta, I gotta make something up. It's gotta sound important, but it's just, I think it's, to me, it resonates more because it came from a [00:22:30] place like that.

April Williams: Well, and it also, I think it comes from, from your lived experience, right.

We can, we can make the things that we [00:23:00] know that, that we need. So your, your theme speaks to everybody who's involved with, with this mission to, to not only treat the disease, but to make sure more people have access to it and actually go forward with treatment that leave no one behind. It speaks [00:23:15] to the surgeons and in your WhatsApp group, right, you are coming together as a community to problem solve.

Like what variation is doing. Mm-hmm. It is leave no one behind It is to ensure that we are reaching ahead when we need help, but that we're also reaching behind us to say, oh, we [00:23:45] we're, we're in this together. This is a right, this is again, a leave, no one behind scenario. So I think it makes perfect sense and it resonates with everybody on so many different levels.

Yeah. Um, I was. In Arizona, I, I lived, I grew up in California, but we were in Arizona, so we could go do this, which was hands across America. So I don't know if you remember that. Yeah. [00:24:30] But that was literally getting in line and holding hands across the United States. We didn't have cell phones, we didn't have anything like that.

Mm-hmm. It's just noise and no one's listening. And I don't know about [00:25:00] you. I mean, I, I guess as I'm getting older, you know, I'll sit in a restaurant or something and we'll be talking to people and I, you know, I mean, I might be right across from him.

Well, you know what they're saying sometimes what they're singing as a concert of, of individuals in the, you know, out in the stands is almost better heard than what's on the [00:25:45] microphone because of all the loudness that's around you, right?

April Williams: Yeah. It reminds me every time that I go to the symphony or to an opera or to any life performance, right?

And it's when the orchestra [00:26:15] comes together and all of a sudden the strings align, right? Yes. And the, and the tone becomes one, the focus is just on the, the mission. Yeah. And that mission is right in, in that case, delivering a performance. And it sounds like what you're really doing is, [00:26:30] is is asking your, your call to action is, hey.

And when people also see this very clear way to add their voice to this message, [00:27:00] yeah. They know that it's going to be amplified in the most powerful way.

However, when it's concerted, when it is brought together for one purpose, and that may be that in this case it's the song, then it sounds beautiful and it's heard, because otherwise it's just [00:27:30] noise. And so that's our chance. I think, you know, I, I think, you know, with, with something like Barry Nation, you know, you have, you have the loudest voice if you want.

And the next thing you know, the insurance company is responding [00:28:15] to their tweet because they don't want negative, and that patient's stuff got overturned. Mm-hmm. So a single voice can be hurt. Yeah, but it was a one-time thing. They didn't change their policy. Nothing like that. However, how about [00:28:30] those same focused voices in, you know, in concert with all of their voices going straight at that same insurer and saying, okay, it's not just one now there's like a million of us.

Christine Mason: Well, I wanna, I wanna go back for a second and just say, first of all, yeah, thank you for your service. Um, you had a [00:29:00] long, distinguished career in the United States Air Force.

Um, and, um, I think what. We certainly feel it in New York, but not everybody [00:29:30] really gets that. We're still having people die as the results of nine 11, and I feel like the connection of that to the epidemic of obesity really doesn't always play through. There are so [00:29:45] many people dying of obesity related diseases, and most people are looking at this as a cosmetic procedure versus a life altering, life changing and quality of life extension.

But when it comes to the disease [00:30:30] of obesity, there is still this, no, you have to do all of these other things before you prove to us that you, um, are worthy and able to handle a surgery like [00:30:45] this in. And then even the adjunct treatments of medication, um, we both had bariatric surgery and are in a position where adjunct therapies are necessary but unable to get [00:31:00] them through our insurance companies 'cause they don't think that our health is really on the line.

But their, I I mean, are cancer patients [00:31:30] irresponsible? No. I mean, they're not, they're literally have a disease and yes. Do some cancers have an association with smoking, for example? Okay. Is that their fault? I kind of believe that they would've had that disease come [00:31:45] forward maybe later in their life.

Maybe if you try this behavioral modification mm-hmm. Your cancer will get better. No one's doing that. If you have cancer, [00:32:15] you know, your closest friends are trying to figure out how they couldn't have gotten you to the doctor yesterday. Mm-hmm. Right. And when somebody says surgery for, you know, their cancer, people are like, absolutely.

Mm-hmm. Hands down. Mm-hmm. Um, there are [00:32:45] some great medications, but they don't have the long-term data and they don't hold on for as long as that is. So, you know, that's really, really important. And on top of that, the pairing to the kids, your model is just, like you said, you know, Christine, you said [00:33:00] adjuvant therapy, so.

But some of them, they require both. You know, and maybe it is neoadjuvant surgical [00:33:30] with adjuvant therapy. And, you know, while we're still learning to determine what patient's disease of obesity is, because when I say cancer, that's really, you know, all encompassing. Right. But if I said breast cancer for an endometrial cancer, if I said prostate [00:33:45] cancer, testicular cancer or pancreatic cancer, each one of those acts so differently.

Or the higher the BM I as we put something to that, even though BMI is not perfect, right. Um, we do understand there's a severity to it. And so someone who has this very severe disease needs [00:34:15] treatment with medical and surgical treatment, you know, to really get to them, to the place they need to be. It's just not fair though, if you can't offer it.

April Williams: Mm-hmm. And

I mean, yeah.

Mm-hmm. And every time that people use the cancer, [00:35:30] um. Situation, right, to help us better understand obesity. I think of my grandmother who has lived through three different diagnoses of breast cancer. Every time she needed a different type of treatment, but every [00:35:45] time her care team was like, we're so proud of you.

It's the exact same scenario. When I think about myself and every other person that I know is battling the disease of obesity, [00:36:15] we are doing everything right. We are eating well, we are moving our bodies. We're, we're, we're, we're tapping into community. We're we're doing all of these things. Well, we just need this additional thing that is going to make all of this work at its optimum, right?

Beg almost to get this one other treatment that will help all of these other things work really well. But there's just such a disconnect and it's that shame and that stigma that that, that I know we know you're going to carry forward from Dr. [00:37:00] Roger's presidency. Absolutely. And that leave no one behind.

Uh, we are not gonna leave you behind even though you are still struggling with these things. So it's a powerful model that we [00:37:30] can all carry forward. And I know that your, your initiatives, the, the, the, the how behind it is, is really going to. To, to, to get us there. Yeah. So would you, would you mind, will you, will you share with us what are your initiatives for Yeah.

Dr. Richard Peterson: So, you know, I think kind of going along the bias part of it, and the thing I, you know, I, I teach, uh, so I'm, I teach here at UT Health in San Antonio in our medical school. And, um, we used to every [00:38:00] year have a lecture, uh, for the third year students on obesity. And, uh, it was a three hour lecture.

And unfortunately just because of directives, uh, that had to be, you know, put on hold and, and other things moved into its [00:38:30] place. And the, the sad part is, so it made me really think about it, is, is obesity being taught anywhere else? And, um, and I just don't think it is, and it's so think so, Dr. Rogers, um, and it really started with [00:38:45] Dr.

And so I had already had this idea in my [00:39:15] mind about this obesity curriculum and medical. We aren't, we aren't helping our doctors know early on in their career that this is a disease. And so if they don't think it's a disease, [00:39:30] it's not gonna be carried forth as a disease when they're older. And so our patients who are sitting there wondering and hoping, and because, you know, whether you wanna, whether people like the idea of per paternalistic medicine or not, uh, [00:39:45] I'm not saying it's ideal.

They wanna be told. And some people are like, no, I want shared decision making. We're gonna do this together and it's great. But if someone's not gonna tell them that they have a disease, then they don't believe they have the disease. Mm-hmm. And I'm usually [00:40:15] the first person to tell a patient that they have the disease of obesity.

We had this obesity summit, as I said, put together, we brought 40 groups of, [00:40:45] uh, from very different, uh, you know, backgrounds. We had the, uh, American Medical Association was there, uh, we had, you know, the, uh, American Academy physicians, we had the Nurse Practitioner Society, we had the PA Society, we had the lipid society, [00:41:00] you, you name it as there a lot of other great, we had industry partners as well.

Um, but the nurse practitioners and PAs. There're our front lines in almost every instance we go to, whether it be in urgent care, it be in an office, you know, or they have some have their own practices as well, you know, and it's, so I think it's really critical that [00:41:45] everyone, and they all, they all said we lack obesity education.

So [00:42:15] while obesity affects almost every organ system of the body, it's not an organ. Because when we're teaching, when we're going, we're learning about brain, we're learning about heart learning about kidney, we're learning about, you know, the liver, we're learning about the diseases that go with [00:42:30] organs, but obesity doesn't have what.

So my, wow. It just affects

Christine Mason: everything,

you know.[00:43:00]

They've already been researching it two or three years. They have an idea, they get it, and they know what else is affecting them. So I see some of [00:43:30] these patients, uh, we know my whole, my whole group. We all see them. Um, they'll come in and one of the best stories I have is a gentleman who came to see me and he came and he is like, I have no idea why I'm here.

Let me, let [00:44:00] me help you understand that. Wait, you're type two diabetic. Oh wait, you have sleep apnea, uh, and you have hypertension. Okay. I said I love what they're gonna do for you to give you a new liver, but turns out that the thing I'm [00:44:15] gonna do, which is kind of bothering you the most, is actually gonna impact you the most.

April Williams: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Richard Peterson: And he couldn't be happier. He loves his life.

April Williams: Oh my gosh.

Dr. Richard Peterson: So it's again, sad that this gentleman had these other three things going on with his disease of obesity.

Christine Mason: You know, I, I was lucky enough that my [00:45:15] surgeon, uh, Dr. George Fielding, who I'm sure you, he was my consulting surgeon, um, he's not only, you know, a world renowned surgeon, but he is also a bariatric patient himself.

They were not judgmental. You are doing everything. How about we do the thing that's going to, and I was the one who was resistant to it. And now why I am so [00:46:00] passionate about trying to get people to think about it three steps earlier or four steps earlier, before it's suffering even more. But having that, mm-hmm.

And still looking at this as purely a reduction in caloric intake [00:46:45] procedure mm-hmm. Versus the metabolic reset that it really is mm-hmm. That can, you know, have such long-term, um, positive impacts.

And I said, I've been on anti-obesity medication. And I had to say that twice. And finally on the third time, I was like, can you please go into my chart and will you show me where [00:47:15] it says weight loss meds? And it said it right there and it was in an editable spot. And I said, will you please delete that?

And I said, it matters to me and it matters to the world because I went [00:47:45] through bariatric surgery, not for weight loss. I went through bariatric surgery because I had chronic AP sleep apnea. My A1C was, was elevated. It was impacting my ability to physically live my life. That's not weight loss, that's a disease.

So to know that this is one of your initiatives is to help educate people, not only right, uh, at the very top, but in every level at those front lines, like what you said is how we change the conversation and [00:48:30] make it more approachable for people who just want help being healthier.

Dr. Richard Peterson: No, I, I totally agree with you.

Right. It's, it's important because you have to educate people about that and, and how to use those words too, right? Yeah. Because, you know, words matter, right? And it does, it does matter. You're not just losing weight. So you'll find it again, you're actually. You're on anti-obesity [00:49:15] medications because you have a disease.

Um, you know, and along with that education, I realized that, you know, I was, you know, I was, uh, early in my career when I saw patients undergoing, you know, metabolic, well [00:49:45] we didn't call it metabolic then, really, but bariatric surgery then. Mm-hmm. And, um, I could see that difference. And I, I would say as an adult learner, I learned to kind of get rid of the bias.

Engaged in the practice and how can we help them [00:50:15] see past that a little bit? Yeah. And, and part of that is, so that obesity summit we did, so this is carrying on with Dr. Rogers, is, you know, we're not gonna let that go. We're gonna have that every year. In fact, we're gonna try to tie that around one of the meetings that I have.

And so truly the moving the needle campaign, that is really what we're trying to do, uh, with that. Um, and that, so that ties to another initiative, which is, you know, uh, advancing access to comprehensive obesity treatment. So [00:51:00] again, making sure those people who know that they are eligible actually. Can't, don't receive the care, but they can receive it.

We're gonna be sharing on my promise, uh, because it was just so [00:51:30] impactful. Yeah. And so that a patient understands that this, they deserve that care. And then kind of the last thing is a sort of strategic is, uh, just wanting to make sure we elevate our organizational impact, um, and really trying to [00:51:45] improve our image.

Uh, I, I like Superman. I wear a Superman shirt in the operating room. You, well, we couldn't, the capman. Um, [00:52:30] I went to the shirt and then I'd have patients who were like, are you wearing a Superman shirt under the air? And I'm like, yeah. But then all of a sudden they just relaxed. So I love the actu, the ability that I could make someone relax at probably one of the most stressful times in their life.

April Williams: You know, we have the honor of, of being a [00:53:00] part of that impact each and every day.

I'm gonna sound silly if I ask a question, right? And when we invite them into our community to host just q and a sessions, right? Or they [00:53:30] lead a class, or they join us on this podcast. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. It's humanizing them in a way that is accessible to patients. And I think it, it also works from, from where you are seated as well.

It's where a patient finally goes, oh my gosh, I understand this now. I understand what you mean when you say it's a disease. And from a or from a practitioner to go, oh my gosh, I didn't understand that. If I just said this one thing or, or I [00:54:15] provided you with one resource, that would be the thing that would unlock treatment on your end.

Dr. Richard Peterson: Oh, I, I appreciate, you know, the opportunity to do that.

Yes. Um, it's just, that's why we're here.

Yeah. So Dr. Peterson, knowing that, that your, your theme is leave no one behind and you've kind of outlined your initiatives for [00:55:30] us. How do you see patients? How do you see us helping you live your mission? Uh, and, and continue on Dr. Rogers mission over reducing shame and stigma.

Dr. Richard Peterson: Yeah, I, that's a great question.

Because if you're talking about, Hey, I, you don't wanna be emotional, you don't wanna be, you know, but it is frustrating to you to hear that you're on weight loss medicines again. But, but if you're able to convey to them, no, no, this is this, [00:56:15] I have a disease and it's an anti-obesity, it's, uh, 'cause I have the disease of obesity, it's an anti-obesity medication that that'll help them understand and maybe, you know, then it gives them a, a new context.

It's just not that. It's not what that is. [00:56:45] So getting rid of the stigma, however we can do it. You know, editorials that go into your local papers and whatnot, you know, writing something. 'cause I remember again, had this beautiful article written and then some editorial came up and said, put the fork down man.

Kids in college and kids, we wanna be on big fancy boats or any of [00:57:30] that. I mean, the depth of the truth is we go into this profession to help people. And that may seem very corny, maybe is on most of our medical school statements and why we wanna be a doctor or something. But the reality is that it's just the truth.

You know? Mm-hmm. Um, why are those there? Why are those barriers literally there? Mm-hmm. Um, 'cause people have to take pause before they have a surgery or is [00:58:15] it because maybe there's a hope that there won't be that. Yeah. So trying to help us take those barriers down. Um, I would say fighting this on, you know, from multiple directions, not different fronts.

We do [00:58:45] need to go in and I watch Braveheart enough. I I love that. You know, did some stuff there. Mm-hmm. Didn't work out so well for Braveheart. But anyway, you know, overall, I think it was a pretty great movie. I I, you know, if I, if you see me next year as I'm on my president, the stage with the blue paint [00:59:00] and the stuff, just, you know, just know, just know.

I'm, I'm, I'm honored to be a part of this, but maybe I will scream treatment. That sounds like a great plan. Sounds. Well, we know you're gonna have a

Um, Oprah, just lemme know, I be honored. Oprah's, uh, is doing non-paid, uh, you know, uh, influencing for GLP ones. You've got us and we're here, uh, to amplify [00:59:45] all of that messaging.

April Williams: I love it. I, I was thinking about what, what we as an organization, what we as a nation of patients can do to support you in your, in your mission.

We are not gonna leave everybody [01:00:15] behind and we're going to ensure that people know, treating the disease of obesity is a team sport. This is not, this is not a, a one man, a one woman job. This is truly a, a, a team sport. So we are not gonna leave any anybody behind in that when it's, [01:00:30] when, when, and I'm looking at your initiatives here, right?

So we can have those conversations when we're with our care team.

They did very well, and they went back, sent me another one. They did well, and when they're off their diabetes meds the next day, they're.[01:01:15]

April Williams: Yeah.

They have some complications here and there, [01:02:00] but that message, the positive message is, is the one that's kind of being missed.

Curian, regardless, uh, they stood up and said. Patients make the decision to have bariatric surgery, not because necessarily they've heard it from their doctors. They make the decision because they've talked with other patients. They've had deep, [01:02:30] meaningful, insightful conversations with other patients, and that conversation empowered them to make that decision.

Mm-hmm. We make the decision to have surgery because we, we are taking a leap of faith and we're tapping into this, this set, this [01:03:00] hope that lives deep inside of us that knows there is a solution to what we have been struggling with. There is a treatment out there, so we go into it with that hope and with that faith, and that is enough.

So, very much appreciate you calling out this need for patient stories to be shared and amplified in a way that. That not only reaches people, but on the platforms that people are living right, their lives [01:03:45] on, it's how we can move the needle.

Dr. Richard Peterson: We all gravitate towards what is similar, right? And so your story, it just has to resonate with one person to impact them, right?

That could be me. You know, that changes and yeah, my number one referral is.

April Williams: Yep. It's, it's how we can reduce the shame and stigma. It's how we can encourage people to, to think about treating a disease in a different way. Mm-hmm. And, and to, to just get curious about what life could be like when, when you approach this thing that [01:04:45] you've been, been battling for probably your entire life in, in a little bit of a different way.

Dr. Richard Peterson: Well, I appreciate you giving me the opportunity, uh, to share and, uh, you actually helped me by being here today to kind of verbalize it the way that I [01:05:15] hope it, uh, gets put out there.

So I, I am grateful to you all for, for this chance. So thank you.

That wraps up another empowering episode of the BariNation Podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode, keep the conversation going by joining the BariNation membership community where you can attend live support events, access. [01:05:45] On-demand resources and find a caring community.

Natalie Tierney: Join us@barination.mn.co.

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