Sustainable Weight Loss for People with a Stoma

One of the struggles and difficulties of patients having stoma from colostomy is losing

weight. Many patients gain unwanted weight following stoma surgery due to changes made to

their diet in an effort to control their output. The alteration of the body image can affect self-

esteem which can lead to more emotional eating. Gaining weight following stoma formation can

lead to stomal retraction and hernias which can cause complications fitting devices and may

require further surgery.

The Organization for Colostomy patients in United Kingdom that is comprised of

physicians, dieticians and nutritionists formulated a sustainable way to loss and maintain weight

for the patients greatly affected by the condition. The determination of the body mass index is

the primary way to tell whether a person may want to consider losing any weight. It is important

for the nurse to note that BMI was intended to assess health patterns across large numbers of

individuals especially those who are at risk of Diabetes and Heart disease. The program includes

the specific food and fluids to take, the reduction of portion sizes, moderation of fiber intake, low

fat starchy food diet, adequate calcium intake from dairy products, cutting off high fat high sugar

foods, double the size of protein-rich food and supplementary vitamins and minerals. The

organization also conceptualized specific meal plans for persons underwent colostomy.

Moreover, one of the solutions mentioned in the article is the balanced approach, it is the

balancing of the overall diet which includes a wide variety of foods from all food groups and

moderate physical activities which can be performed by the patients without straining the area.

Making small changes to all the food groups can help the reduction of weight gradually and

lessen the risk of heart problems and conditions such as diabetes.

 As a nurse we should be keen to what our clients should know especially in their well-

being, in the case of patients with stoma, physical health matters prior and after the stoma

formation. The way a nurse advocates for physical well-beingness of person will reflect in this

kind of condition, discipline, strict follow-ups, encouragement and commitment are weapon,

unlike any other updates that only includes the invention and application of science and

technology, this innovation puts precision in the fact that we human is as much and will be more

than the machines we use.

Reference:

Medlin, S. (2021) Sustainable Weight Loss for People with a Stoma. UK Colostomy. Retrieved

January 25, 2021 from: https://www.colostomyuk.org/sustainable-weight-loss-for-people-with-a-

stoma/