Extreme measures - a moral dilemma?

PandaFit450

Hi,
Last night I watched Embarrassing Fat Bodies on C4 for the second time in 2 weeks.
Both weeks showed people who had health issues due to being obese - some underwent surgery - gastric bands, others were given hypnotherapy. There was NO mention of healthier eating/excercise etc. so I pressumed they had tried and were unsuccessful.
But, more worrying - it also showed the successful people who had lost weight (some as much as 23st!) who were still not happy with their body image. This time due to the amount of 'loose/excess' skin that remained after losing their weight.
Does this mean that once I've lost my weight and maintained through healthy eating & exercise - I may have to resort to surgery to remove unwanted skin??
This gives me a moral dilemma.
Would I actually go through a General Anaesthetic and procedure for cosmetic purposes? Would I spend vast amounts of money on an operation that wasn't deemed 'life saving'? Or would I be content looking good with my clothes on, but again be embarrassed to undress in public????

What are your thoughts please?

Jules :frown:

SeanMurphy

Loose skin will, over time, retighten to fit your new body style. Also, if you're losing the fat through healthier eating and exercise, you will likely lose it at a more natural rate than you would with surgery, so it will be able to keep up with your fat loss.

You could start a regular regimen of all-over skin care such as the stuff that pregnant ladies use to reduce stretch marks. This keeps skin pliable and makes it more elastic and able to reshape to meet your new body size.

People who are on those shows are often not able or interested to keep up with a long-term fitness program as you likely are, and they are often very instant gratification type folk, meaning they are not willing to wait for their skin to keep up with their drastic loss, triggered by their gastric bypass or liposuction or what have you.

In my opinion, you'll be fine. Stay eating healthy and exercising and you'll be well on your way to a fit body.

CARNAT22

How much weight do you have to loose? How old are you? Have you spoken to a Dr / dietician about this?

I haven't had the skin problem but I think that being 'thin' isn't a quick fix for life long issues of low self esteem / low confidence? Mentally it can take some people a long time to accept they look vastly different? Add into the mix excess skin and I imagine it can be a very bittersweet achievement to lose a vast amount of weight. But it is still an acheivement !!!

I think that everyone is better off losing the weight [in terms of their general health if not appearence] but I would def consult a dietician to seee what they recommend.

ashlinmarie

There are ways to tone out excess skin, but it can be a long process. Use a moisterizer with vitamin e to help improve your skin's elasticity which will help it "bounce back"

While looking good is a great benefit to losing weight, its all about being healthy and there to live your life. If you feel you can do that with a bit of excess skin, then surgery just seems like a bad option. I saw a guy with tons of excess skin...he weighed over 500 lbs and lost it with diet and exercise. He is now dating and living his life happily with no surgery.

MB1967

Hi,

I saw this and thought the same thing, but surely there must be things you can do to minimise the saggy skin, but they never mention anything like this on there, all they do is "shock TV" with no real helpful solutions.. I might do some surfing tonight...

SuzieR

I watched this programme too.

I think the people they've shown are extremes, they have a LOT of weight to lose, and with gastric surgery I think you lose it quite quickly. Losing the weight slowly and healthily, drinking lots of water and moisturising should mean the skin will eventually (maybe not straight away!) regain its elasticity. At least that's what I'm hoping.

StacyD015

Jules,

I too have watched this program and it shocked me.

BUT....

You need to remember that these people who have excess/loose skin have lost dramatic amounts of weight ( as you said some 23st!!) Some of them going through gastric band ops and so on. When people who have large amounts of weight to drop and have these operations the amount they eat is miniscule. This means that they will lose weight quickly and this doesnt give the skin time to catch up and "stretch" back.

Whether or not you get loose skin depends on a number of different factors; Age, How long you have been overweight, How much weight you actually have to lose, how quickly you lose it, If you exercise along with your diet and GENETICS.

So please dont worry about this, your doing it the best way. Your not on some Fad Diet, not going through Major Surgery. Your Changing your lifestyle, eating the Right way plus I know you get those exercises in!!!!


I wish you the best in your Journey. xxxx

Stacy x

ppiinnkkmmoonn

it all about to genes and age. ive lost 190 and winded up with very very little skin and as each day and month and year passes by my skin looked even tighter and better plus weight lifting helps as well but your body normalyl works it self out if your patience with it

helenium

Just checked your ticker and you say you've got 49 lbs to lose - I don't think you'll find excess skin a problem - as far as I can tell, that only becomes a problem if you have 100+ lbs to lose.

PandaFit450

Thanks guys I appreciate your comments.
What a shame no-one on the programme mentioned 'MFP' instead of extreme/quick results!!
I would be lost without all the support.

Jules

suzycreamcheese

if i had loads of excess skin left over, id get surgery for sure if i could afford it.

i dont see where morals come into it?

BerryH

As we at MFP all know, anyone can lose weight by monitoring calories and being active. There are all sorts of reasons people can't do this on their own, from medical conditions at one end of the scale to complete refusal to make healthy choices or report consumption honestly at the other.

Most people who can't do it on their own could lose weight if monitored, motivated and given the right food choices, like in a health farm, boot camp or Biggest Loser. Sadly the reason many otherwise healthy and capable people are given the choice of an operation, despite being dangerous in and of itself, at all is simply because it is cheaper for the health service.

It should be made very clear in programmes such as this that it's not an easy option. If you think it takes willpower to stop when you've reached your calorie limit and get some exercise in most days, think how much it would take to eat baby food for the first couple of months then limit yourself to just mouthfuls of food for the rest of your life.

WildWayz

I used to think "If only someone would take away all my fat and then I would maintain my weight better". The reality is that all these obese people (myself included) want a quick fix. So they have surgery.

I know a few people who have had gastric bands.
One woman lost weight, but they learnt to cheat the system and has put it back on. We went out to dinner with her and she ate a whole sunday dinner and desert - I mean, a maaaaaaaan sized portion. She's learnt how to get food past the band.

A woman my wife works with has been administered to hospital since having a gastric band - she lost so much weight she actually conditioned herself into becoming anorexic - had liver and kidney failure from not eating. They had to remove her band.

None of the above were checked out mentally about losing weight. None were taught how to eat properly. It was just "have this, eat less - go".

Unfortunately if an obese person can't be bothered to eat better and move more then leave them to it.

I was 319lbs - now 293lbs - but I am eating better and exercising every day - because I now have the frame of mind that I want to LIVE and not die of a heart attack. I want to be here for my wife in years to come and not have her bury me because I made the choice to eat until I died. It's a long track to fitness, but at least I am on it.

The people on these shows are not on that track. They want it all now and for free in most cases. They will fail and gain weight again.

evanlyn

Hi Jules,

I'd support everything that's already been said. I was only half watching the programme but think I heard the young girl say that she lost 23 stones in under 2 years - that's an extreme loss so it's not surprising that she had additional problems. Your ticker indicates that you're looking to lose about 3.5 stones. I've lost a similar amount without any problems with loose skin so i wouldn't worry about it.

As an aside... I have issues with this TV programme. I think that by showing such extremes it may help some people by shocking them into realising what they are doing to their health but I don't think that the programme makers do enough to discuss safe weight loss methods or to promote healthy eating. They focus too much on surgery as a solution. Throughout the programme they refer viewers to their website for more information but there isn't actually much information on it. I've had a look and I can't find any advice about diet or exercise or any links to external support services. Makes me wonder what the real motive may be: are they genuinely concerned about promoting health or is it just a modern day version of the circus side show.

PandaFit450

Yeah, I think you're right! It is TV sensationalism! But it is an emotive subject.

We all realise that there's no 'quick' fix - after all it's taken us years to get to the point where we've said enough is enough. So I aim to carry on with eating healthy & exercising more and if I end up with some unwanted skin - tough - it's better than carrying around 3.5 stone of unwanted fat!

Jules

k8edge

I think being healthy would be the #1 priority on you list. Less chance of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, etc..., etc... etc...

Obesity has a direct relationship to the development of heart disease in both men and women. This is due to the increased distribution of body fat. You are 3 times as likely to suffer from hypertension if you are obese compared to those whose weight falls within the normal range. The simple fact is that when your weight increases, so does your blood pressure.

I guess you would want to decide between an early death and living your life with a little extra skin. If it doesn't go back, then having surgery is another decision that you will have to make.

Hope that helps good luck and I hope you stick with it!

chellekoren

Hi,
Last night I watched Embarrassing Fat Bodies on C4 for the second time in 2 weeks.
Both weeks showed people who had health issues due to being obese - some underwent surgery - gastric bands, others were given hypnotherapy. There was NO mention of healthier eating/excercise etc. so I pressumed they had tried and were unsuccessful.
But, more worrying - it also showed the successful people who had lost weight (some as much as 23st!) who were still not happy with their body image. This time due to the amount of 'loose/excess' skin that remained after losing their weight.
Does this mean that once I've lost my weight and maintained through healthy eating & exercise - I may have to resort to surgery to remove unwanted skin??
This gives me a moral dilemma.
Would I actually go through a General Anaesthetic and procedure for cosmetic purposes? Would I spend vast amounts of money on an operation that wasn't deemed 'life saving'? Or would I be content looking good with my clothes on, but again be embarrassed to undress in public????

What are your thoughts please?

Jules :frown:

If they went the surgical route, they most like lost it a LOT faster than the diet and exercise way and therefore have much more loose skin that you will.

Newfiedan

Rapid weight loss will result in loose skin however if you do it slower and more evenly paced then the skin will have time to tighten as you shed the weight and will look better over time than someone who loses it to fast. The skin loses some of its elasticity as we shed weight and it takes time for it to catch up to rapid fat loss for those whom are obese. This is part of the reason they do not recommend losing more than 2 lbs/wk although it is quite possible to shed more for those whom are obese. Moisturizing and eating a cleaner diet rich in veg and lean meats will help remedy this somewhat as well. I have lost nearly 40 pounds the healthy way and have no issues with loose skin, what it boils down to is that there are many roads to the end goal it is just a matter of choosing the option that works best for you and I guarantee you that the healthier path is the best choice.

helenoftroy1

OMG I watched that and was thinking great, I got loose skin to look forward to but then as the people have said, they lost massive amounts of weight over very short periods whereas we're not. She was named the fattest teenager in Britain and ~I think had surgery for a bariatic( I'm not sure of spelling) band. This would mean she would lose loads of weight in a short time scale.
I have a question... (this may be a little harsh), do you think if you got a gastric band and lost weight that way it would be as... defining and or give a better feel good factor than dieting healthy and taking longer.
I was thinking I'd love to lose all that weight really quickly but ultimately I'm actually kinda getting off on the fact I'm doing this by myself and making myself healthier in the long term.
Answers on a postcard please!

hmm33502

If you think surgery is a quick fix, you would be incorrect! I am banded and I have to follow the same rules that everyone else does. I keep in 1200 cals per day, eating healthy, workout 4-5 days per week 45 mins to 1 hour at a time! My goal is to lose 2 lbs per week. Even if you lose the weigh without surgery, you can still have loose skin!

I am working on toning and giving my skin time to shrink. I think surgery of any kind is extreme, but you have to weigh the risks against the possible benefit of feeling better about yourself! With larger people, there is always the problem of excess skin rubbing, getting infected and not healing properly. Most people get skin reduction surgery for cosmetic purposes, but there are medical reasons too!

To each, his own, but KNOW THE RISKS before you go under the knife!

PandaFit450

OMG I watched that and was thinking great, I got loose skin to look forward to but then as the people have said, they lost massive amounts of weight over very short periods whereas we're not. She was named the fattest teenager in Britain and ~I think had surgery for a bariatic( I'm not sure of spelling) band. This would mean she would lose loads of weight in a short time scale.
I have a question... (this may be a little harsh), do you think if you got a gastric band and lost weight that way it would be as... defining and or give a better feel good factor than dieting healthy and taking longer.
I was thinking I'd love to lose all that weight really quickly but ultimately I'm actually kinda getting off on the fact I'm doing this by myself and making myself healthier in the long term.
Answers on a postcard please!

I agree! Whilst I think it would be brilliant to wear 'new' clothes asap - I'm actually enjoying the journey!

randisaucier

if i had loads of excess skin left over, id get surgery for sure if i could afford it.

i dont see where morals come into it?

I agree! It's not about morals it's about being able to feel comfortable in your own skin. I plan to have a tummy tuck once I reach my goal weight and I don't feel I am being immoral or vain....I have lost 120 pounds in the past, had two babies over 9 pounds each and am on my way (49 pounds lost to date) to losing 115 pounds again. NO the skin will not tighten up over time to fit my body shape.....it does get better but it will never be where I feel comfortable about the appearance and comfortable with my own body until it is removed.

helenoftroy1

If you think surgery is a quick fix, you would be incorrect! I am banded and I have to follow the same rules that everyone else does. I keep in 1200 cals per day, eating healthy, workout 4-5 days per week 45 mins to 1 hour at a time! My goal is to lose 2 lbs per week. Even if you lose the weigh without surgery, you can still have loose skin!

I am working on toning and giving my skin time to shrink. I think surgery of any kind is extreme, but you have to weigh the risks against the possible benefit of feeling better about yourself! With larger people, there is always the problem of excess skin rubbing, getting infected and not healing properly. Most people get skin reduction surgery for cosmetic purposes, but there are medical reasons too!

To each, his own, but KNOW THE RISKS before you go under the knife!

I didn't mean to offend, I don't know if you have seen the programme it seems a lot of people who have gastric bands lose a lot of weight really quickly and I guess we were all a little worried about getting loose skin and how that occurs. From the programme it seemed it was because of large losses. Mind you there was one who did a massive loss in a short time through almost starving herself and she had loose skin. Basically I was worried about the same as OP, loose skin. But I also am enjoying my long journey and I was weighing ('scuse the pun) the pros and cons against being able to lose weight quickly either by drastic calorie deficiency or surgery. to losing gradually and enjoying the journey. I am curious, do you not feel like ready to pop with 1200 calories and being banded?

hmm33502

If you think surgery is a quick fix, you would be incorrect! I am banded and I have to follow the same rules that everyone else does. I keep in 1200 cals per day, eating healthy, workout 4-5 days per week 45 mins to 1 hour at a time! My goal is to lose 2 lbs per week. Even if you lose the weigh without surgery, you can still have loose skin!

I am working on toning and giving my skin time to shrink. I think surgery of any kind is extreme, but you have to weigh the risks against the possible benefit of feeling better about yourself! With larger people, there is always the problem of excess skin rubbing, getting infected and not healing properly. Most people get skin reduction surgery for cosmetic purposes, but there are medical reasons too!

To each, his own, but KNOW THE RISKS before you go under the knife!

I didn't mean to offend, I don't know if you have seen the programme it seems a lot of people who have gastric bands lose a lot of weight really quickly and I guess we were all a little worried about getting loose skin and how that occurs. From the programme it seemed it was because of large losses. Mind you there was one who did a massive loss in a short time through almost starving herself and she had loose skin. Basically I was worried about the same as OP, loose skin. But I also am enjoying my long journey and I was weighing ('scuse the pun) the pros and cons against being able to lose weight quickly either by drastic calorie deficiency or surgery. to losing gradually and enjoying the journey. I am curious, do you not feel like ready to pop with 1200 calories and being banded?

No offense taken! It is awfully hard to get to 1200 cals per day while trying to eat the proper foods and being banded. If I ate icecream and cake all day, then I could make it easily, but lean meats, veggies, some whole grains (can't really eat breads or processed starches....they won't go down) don't have super high calorie content! I try to fill in calories with protein shakes made with milk instead of water. If it is liquid, it will go down, no problem. That is why soups, icecream and other liquid high calorie foods aren't a good option. They defeat the purpose of the band.

Even people who go through weight loss surgery don't fully understand the amount of work that it takes. I am all for surgery, but not in the place of putting forth the effort and not without the proper facts. I don't think it is a moral dilemma, but surgery is often rushed into.

Sorry to linger on the banding! It is a great tool and is helpful for someone like me who has gone so far off track that I needed an exra push to get back on. I recommend not gaining all of the weight in the first place, but hindsight is always 20/20...isn't it!