Surgical treatment of obesity: some considerations on the transformations of the eating impulse*

* This manuscript refers to an original piece of research conducted in the surgical service of the General Hospital of Unicamp, validated by peer reviewers from the Laboratory of Clinical–Qualitative Research, Unicamp, Campinas, Brazil, based on doctoral thesis of Ronis Magdaleno Júnior entitled “Life experiences of women submitted to bariatric surgery in General Hospital of Unicamp: a clinical-qualitative study”. Advisor: Prof. Dr. Egberto Ribeiro Turato. This study aims at understanding the alteration of the eating impulse arising after bariatric surgery. Hunger is transformed after surgery, with satiety being quickly achieved, but not the sensation of satiation. There is an evident misunderstanding between hunger as non-satiety and as dissatisfaction, with anguish emerging as the resulting affect, which surgery does not correct. In-depth psychological treatment is crucial as the surgery creates new emotional demands for the patient.