Where the Assessment Is Up To
A while back we shared that James had started the formal assessment process for ADHD and autism. This came out of conversations with his GP after surgery, when certain traits that had previously been masked became more noticeable as life changed post-op. We said we would keep updating honestly, so here is where things stand now.
The assessment has reached the workshops stage. For those unfamiliar with how adult neurodivergent assessments work in the UK, the process typically involves a series of structured sessions – questionnaires, clinical interviews, and workshops that build a picture of how someone functions across different areas of life. Getting to this point took longer than expected, largely because NHS waiting lists for adult ADHD and autism assessments are long. We are not going to pretend the wait has been straightforward, but the process is now moving.
The Connection to Weight Loss Surgery
One of the things that has come up through the assessment process is how much weight had masked. That is not unique to James – there is a growing body of research looking at the relationship between ADHD, autism, and obesity, and at how significant weight loss can surface traits and patterns that were previously less visible.
Before surgery, James was 30 stone. A significant amount of daily energy went into managing life at that weight – the physical demands, the planning around food, the fatigue. When that weight came off and that particular cognitive load reduced, other things became clearer. Not new things, exactly – traits that had always been there – but ones that were now more visible to him and to the people around him.
The assessment process has been useful in that respect. Not because a diagnosis changes who he is, but because having language for how his brain works makes it easier to build routines that actually suit him rather than trying to fit into structures that were never designed with him in mind.
Speed and Tracking
One thing that came up in the early workshops was around how James processes time and tracks tasks. The dietary structure that works well post-op – protein first, planned meals, consistent supplementation – turns out to suit the way his brain functions better than the more ad hoc approach he had to eating before surgery. The surgery imposed external structure at a point when internal structure was difficult. That is an interesting thing to have confirmed through a formal process.
Kirsten has not gone through the same assessment, but she has found the conversations useful in understanding some of the ways James approaches planning and routines – which has made it easier to support each other practically without either of us reading the other’s behaviour in the wrong way.
We Will Keep Updating
We are sharing this because we know a number of people in the bariatric community who are either going through similar assessment processes or wondering whether to pursue one. The link between neurodivergence and weight is not well understood publicly, and we think more honest conversations about it are worth having.
Two years post-op from our surgery at Weight Loss Riga in March 2024, both of us are well. The assessment is one thread in a much larger and largely positive picture.
Sources
NICE CG189 – Obesity: identification, assessment and management
BOMSS – Guidelines on the peri-operative nutritional management of bariatric patients
NHS – Adult ADHD assessment and treatment
NICE NG87 – Autism spectrum disorder in adults: diagnosis and management
About this content
This blog is written by James and Kirsten, a couple from the UK who had gastric sleeve surgery together in March 2024.
We started this blog because we couldn't find any sources of content that details before surgery, the surgery and then life post surgery - so we decided to write one ourselves.
Everything on this site is based on our own experience and the research we have done along the way. It is not medical advice. Gastric sleeve surgery is a serious procedure and every patient's journey is different. Please always consult your own bariatric team or GP before making any decisions about your health or treatment.
Some posts on this site may contain featured or sponsored content, or affiliate links. Where this is the case, it will always be clearly stated at the top of the article. Our opinions are always our own.
Publish Date: 10 March 2026 | Last Reviewed: 7 June 2026 | Next Planned Review: 7 December 2027