Nicola Cooper BSc - Specialist Bariatric Dietician
Nicola qualified as a dietitian from King’s College London in 2004 and then worked with complex medical and surgical patients at Hillingdon and at St. George’s Hospital in London. She is currently completing a Master’s degree and is an active member of the British Dietetic Association, of Dieticians in Obesity Management UK and of BOMSS.
She has specialised in the care of bariatric surgery patients since 2005, first joining Mr Alberic Fiennes in the St George’s bariatric service. She transferred with him to set up the new bariatric service at University College London Hospital and remains active in its development, striving to support patients in achieving their goals and providing excellent and motivational dietetic care.
Her key role within our team mirrors this experience. Foremost, she provides targeted pre-operative dietetic assessments in individual cases. These help us understand specific eating patterns and energy consumption. She is expert at “trouble-shooting” during follow-up for patients with post-operative difficulties. In her view:
“Patients usually know all about healthy eating and shouldn’t be lectured. Understanding and empathy are the best tools in understanding each individual eating pattern and in helping patients to change.”
Nicola has also contributed to our nutrition strategy around the time of surgery and is active in our non-surgical resource and weight management program.
