Committee Mission

The mission of the IH Support Group Committee is to promote the development of support groups in bariatric surgical patient care and identify resources for support group leaders.

An Interview With The Chair

What about this committee’s mission is the most important to you? 

“In line with ASMBS and presidential initiatives of promoting public awareness of the importance of evidence-based obesity treatment, decreasing weight stigma, and increasing advocacy efforts, our committee strongly believes that patient voices should be part of the conversation. Our patients have the lived-in experience of obesity, weigh bias, and improvements after treatment. Patients are integral in getting these messages out the public, health care providers, insurance companies, and legislators at the local, state, and national level. Our big project for the year will be arming our patients with the tools to advocate for decreasing bias and increasing treatment options. We will be creating videos and educational materials that clinicians can share during support groups to share the messaging with patients. Our patients are just as invested in treatment as we are!“

How has being part of this committee benefitted you professionally or even personally?

“I have been fortunate to be a member, past co-chair, and the current chair of this committee since 2017. In my time, I have most valued learning from and collaborating with peers in different disciplines at different institutions. What I have learned from my fellow committee members is then directly put back into my own support groups. I am a better support group facilitator! My committee membership has also allowed me to grow professionally with speaking, networking, mentoring, and leadership opportunities within ASMBS. I look forward to meeting with this committee each month, which is just an added bonus.“

What of this committee’s accomplishments are you most proud of? 

“Hands down, the I am most proud of seeing the Support Group Leader Training Program go from an idea into an actual program! It took many years to get to project off the ground and launched in December of 2023. We were also awarded the IH Committee of the year in 2024!“

Final Thoughts on the IH Support Group Committee?

“We are a multi-disciplinary committee of passionate clinicians who are tasked to promote and advance improvements for MBS Support Groups. We are also always identifying the needs of support group facilitators and developing strategies to meet these needs in creative ways.“