Question:
Pyschological Assessment - What's Being Assessed

The following may be helpful to the many people who have posted questions here about what is being evaluated in the psychological assessment: http://www.asbs.org/html/pdf/PsychPreSurgicalAssessment.pdf. Best success.    — Janell C. (posted on November 26, 2009)

November 26, 2009
It's my understanding, they are assessing whether or not you have a realilstic picture of what weight loss surgery can and cannot do for you. Also, that you understand that the surgery is not a "magic wand" to make all your problems and weight disappear. It's only a tool in your arsenal in the fight against obesity. People who believe that: 1 - losing weight will cure all their problems; and 2 - Weight loss surgery doesn't require effort on the part of the patient; are not good candidates for the surgery. If you were depressed or insecure or in a bad relationship, etc., losing weight will not "cure" those problems. In addition, the mental adjustments you must make after surgery in addition to the dietary changes and responsibilities (getting enough protein, taking vitamins, exercising, eating responsibly) are huge and require commitment, so surgery is not the "easy way out" of obesity. Chances are that by the time you get to the psychological evaluation, you've spent a lot of time thinking and learning about surgery. So just be honest and be yourself, and you'll pass with flying colors. Just remember, surgery is just one more tool in the fight against obesity
   — Peggie