Listen to Understanding Obesity: Is it a disease? Insights from leading expert Mr Shaw Somers

Get ready to rethink everything you thought you knew about obesity and weight loss!

Join the conversation with the incredibly insightful Dr Shaw Somers, a leading bariatric surgeon and media commentator, as he dives deep into the complexities of obesity, metabolism, and the impact of our environment on weight gain.

Shaw shares his journey from cancer surgery to becoming a pioneer in metabolic surgery, revealing how our bodies react to food and why it’s not just about willpower. He sheds light on the role of genetics, stress, and even sleep in our struggle with weight. Plus, discover the latest in weight loss treatments, including the buzz around GLP-1 injections and how they fit into the bigger picture of health.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Obesity is a disease, not a personal failure. Recognised by the World Health Organization as a complex condition shaped by genetics, environment, and metabolism — not willpower alone.

Your environment matters more than you think. Stress, sleep, and food access all influence metabolism and eating behaviours, often working against long-term weight loss.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Effective treatment can include lifestyle change, medication, or surgery — and should always be guided by qualified professionals.

Bariatric surgery is now metabolic surgery. The focus has shifted from weight loss to treating underlying metabolic dysfunction.

The biggest changes aren’t just physical. Many people experience improved confidence, health, relationships, and quality of life — not just a lower number on the scale.

KEY MOMENTS

“We now recognise that good quality sleep is absolutely essential to be able to moderate your metabolism and for your body to work properly.”

“Obesity is a disorder, and it’s why companies are spending millions trying to figure out drugs that help treat it.”

“The way your body deals with food, how it digests it, how it assimilates it, is different for every individual.”

“We now see all the different treatments that we have available as a spectrum.”

“You will change. You will expect and want different things.”

TIMESTAMPS

[00:01:25] Obesity as a disease.

[00:05:31] Environment’s role in weight gain.

[00:10:21] Satiety and metabolic disorders.

[00:13:15] Metabolic surgery vs. bariatric surgery.

[00:17:46] Preventive measures for obesity.

[00:22:16] Cooking as bonding time.

[00:28:17] Obesity as a spectrum.

[00:30:45] Weight loss surgeries overview.

[00:34:20] Weight loss surgery options.

[00:41:00] Surgical industry and GLP-1s.

[00:42:50] Weight loss and relationship changes.

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HOST BIO

Mel Harris is the founder of KIO Method Ltd, specialising in long-term weight loss maintenance after bariatric surgery and weight loss injections. After losing nearly 15 stone (90kg) following weight loss surgery in 2004, Mel has spent over 21 years navigating the realities of keeping weight off.

With lived experience of bariatric surgery, weight regain, GLP-1 medications, and metabolic health challenges, Mel is on a mission to close the gap between losing weight and keeping it off for life. Through honest, compassionate conversations, she cuts through misinformation, diet culture, and shame — offering real support, insight, and zero judgement.