Kate BerridgeMetabolic Bariatric Nurse Specialist, Your Weigh Team
Introducing Kate Berridge Aotearoa-NZ’s most experienced metabolic bariatric nurse specialist.
Her work has traversed the spectrum of nurse-patient relations, from working one-on-one coordinating surgical patient care pre- and post-surgery, to now running a unique nursing-based metabolic bariatric patient aftercare service, Your Weigh Team and partnering with Dr Shri Lamba in setting up Christchurch Weight Management Clinic. |
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Kate mostly works with patients in the long term, in the months to years after their surgery, when people often face weight regain and mental and emotional overwhelm. It’s now including more and more people using GLP-1 medications after or instead of surgery.
Her work is unique in its patient cohort and in how she has vastly extended the boundaries of the definition of nursing care. Her business is to work in partnership helping people navigate the complexity of appropriate care for living with the life-long chronic condition of obesity.
Her work is unique in its patient cohort and in how she has vastly extended the boundaries of the definition of nursing care. Her business is to work in partnership helping people navigate the complexity of appropriate care for living with the life-long chronic condition of obesity.
How Allostatic Load Contributes to Pain and Lack of Self-Care in People with Obesity
For those living with obesity there is frequently an un assessed for burden of allostatic load. When health care professionals have conversations about obesity they tend to focus on food, movement and more recently the availability of medications. However something essential gets missed in these appointments. There is significant evidence demonstrating that early weight biased experiences contribute to long term anxiety, depression, disordered eating, sleep issues and associated chronic pain disorders. Attempts at weight loss that do not include the mental health aspect fail creating further ongoing psychological trauma. Kate will discuss how her work and deep understanding reaches people stuck in difficult spaces, using strategies such as ACT and mindful self-compassion have lasting impact.
