When Food Doesn’t Get Easier: Eating Disorders, Bariatrics & GLP-1s with Rhian Houghton, RD

In this clinician-focused episode of Inside Bariatrics, Aoife is joined by Rhian Houghton, Registered Dietitian, to explore the often-overlooked intersection between bariatric care, eating disorders, disordered eating, and GLP-1 medications.Together, they discuss how relationship with food can become more complex before and after bariatric surgery, why eating disorders can go under-recognised in bariatric settings, and the importance of trauma-informed, collaborative, and permission-based approaches to care.This episode may be particularly relevant for bariatric clinicians, dietitians, psychologists, and healthcare professionals working across weight management, obesity, GLP-1, and eating disorder services - though anyone interested in these topics is welcome to listen.In this episode, we discuss:The overlap between bariatric surgery, disordered eating, and eating disordersWhy binge eating and loss of control eating can persist, change, or re-emerge after surgeryRestriction, emotional eating, and relationship with food before and after bariatric surgeryHow eating disorders can go unnoticed in bariatric and weight management settingsUsing motivational interviewing and permission-based conversations in practiceTrauma-informed care in dietetic and bariatric settingsChallenges referring between bariatric and eating disorder servicesThe growing intersection between GLP-1 medications and eating behaviour supportWhy clinician supervision matters in complex nutrition and behaviour change workResources mentionedIntuitive Eating — Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse ReschMotivational Interviewing in Nutrition and Fitness — Motivational Interviewing in Nutrition and Fitness by Dawn Clifford and Laura CurtisEating disorder training by Marci EvansConnect / TrainingAoife and Rhian offer clinician training for NHS, HSE, and private practice teams on:Eating Disorders in the context of Bariatric Surgery and GLP-1 MedicationsFor training enquiries, please get in touch directly: Contact