Why is surgery considered so wrong???

congrats on your sucess now i did my the hard way watching my calories and 3 days at the gym I loss a total of 107lbs so i too have been sucessful

Oh my goodness surgery is not for everyone, but then neither is Paelo, IF or heavy lifting but somehow surgery gets the worse press.

I don't know; I see plenty of hate (and support) for all of the above along with support (and hate) for surgery. I think we are each most sensitive to criticism of the approach we personally use, so the negativity stands out.

All I ask is that people try to think of the emotional, mental and physical state of a person considering surgery and try not to judge.

here here! always a good thing to aim for.

I was shocked to learn that those who lose weight the traditional way, you know, "on their own?" Failure rate is 95% - but with surgery is 15-20% failure. I've been the 95% and working to stay out of the 15-20%.

All bariatric programs are different. I must say the one I am part of is a caring one. Yes they are for profit but aren't Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, workout gyms, workout dvds and so on?!?! The weight loss industry is huge!

I beg to differ about the cognitive therapy aspect of some bariatric programs also. Mine does use this and uses a book by Judith Beck called The Beck Diet Solution and Weight Loss Workbook for people that need that extra help. I bought the books on my own cause I wanted to suceed in the program.

As I said before, my bariatric program has a team approach and you have to met team approval before they will even consider you for a surgery date. If you don't follow the program pre op you won't be getting a surgery date from them. You have to see a psych, nutritionist and physical therapist monthly and then they decide if you are ready for surgery. You have to cut out all caffine, all carbonated beverages, quit smoking if you smoke and no drinking of alcohol. This goes for pre op and post op for the rest of your life. It takes 6 months to 2 years to get a surgery date and meet team approval. They ask questions when you first start with the program asking why do you want surgery? What diets have you tried in the past? Ask you weight at age 10, 20, 30, 40 and so on.....

Surgery isn't for everyone. I can only speak for the bariatric program I use and they do weed out the ones that won't be successful. They track their success/failure rates too. As Libb3C stated, 95% of people will gain back the weight they loose by dieting or traditional methods if they are obese. With WLS the rate is only 15% to 20% of failure.

I have lost and gain and lost and gained all my life. At age 48 with bad knees, left knee is bone on bone and needs to be replace but I am too young the knee dr said, feet hurting I decide WLS was the way to go for me. I have been obese all my life. I was successful before surgery and lost 47 pounds from Feb till June of this year and did have the thought that "yes, I don't need surgery I am doing good so far" but then reality clicked in with me. Yes I've lost that much but will I continue to my goal without the tool of my sleeve? Probably not so I did have the sleeve surgery.
The surgeries have come along way. Yes they can be dangerous but any type of surgery you have can be. Surgery shouldn't be taken lightly either. It is life changing event and your life won't be the same again. As far as vitamin defencies, with the gastic sleeve there is less chance with that than RNY since it is basically a restrictive procedure vs. the RNY that is restrictive and absorption both.

I was shocked to learn that those who lose weight the traditional way, you know, "on their own?" Failure rate is 95% - but with surgery is 15-20% failure. I've been the 95% and working to stay out of the 15-20%.

I suppose we would need to define success. I define success as being and staying within 5% of goal...I do not believe WLS has a 80-85% success rate of making goal and maintaining. The "traditional" eat less, move more approach also does not have a high hit/goal success, but it's not much lower/higher than WLS (based on my recent reading).

I applaud anyone (regardless of what path they take....WLS, Weight Watchers, MFP, Paleo, Atkins) who is able to regain health by eating well and moving more. The reality is that morbid obesity (which you generally must be to "qualify" for WLS) is NOT caused by having an extra helping of mashed potatoes and/or a couple cookies on occasion. MORBID obesity (and I've been in that club...now I'm simply "obese") is caused by the abuse of food due to psychological issues. The "counseling" and evaluations required by WLS really do not dig into these issues the way a year or two of strong cognitive therapy would. I'm quite familar with the evaluation process for WLS and it's not that rigid. The only "rigid" part is the sheer number of steps required to go through, but by no means is the process of evaluation of those who are emotionally "ready" strenuous; if it was, very few would be approved for surgery.

My last comment is that, remember: WLS facilities/centers are "for profit" organizations. They will do what's required to a) help their patients get approved by insurance in order to complete a surgery and build their business and b) avoid loss suits. That's it.

Let's just be honest...it's not this caring, cognitive-repairing solution. After completing a checklist of tasks (lose x% of weight, meet with a slightly trained evaluator to ensure someone is not nuts, etc.), and a person meets the insurance requirements (e.g., high BMI and metabolic disorder issues), a person will receive an often, irreversible physical change to their body to help with limiting their food intake. Let's not call it something it's not.

People on the boards may also make comments because there seems to be a sort of "soliciting sympathy" for everything a person goes through to get and make it through surgery. While I have empathy for someone who is in pain, WLS is elective surgery and I liken it to giving sympathy to someone complaining about what they went through after having liposuction, having a tummy tuck, or someone who complains about an injury because they went from zero exercise to running 5 miles a day. These are all personal choices.

I think anyone who would be down on you for doing what you need to save your own life is a jerk. Period.

I have PCOS, it is a metabolic disorder that causes me to gain weight easily and take it off SLOWLY. I tried everything, literally. Surgery changed my bodies chemical makeup and hormones which helped me to finally be able to control my weight. If you had cancer would you have surgery to remove it? Of course. My obesity was killing me just as surley as untreated cancer would have, so I let my doctor and nutritionist help me make an informed decision about changing my life.

I work hard every.single.day to maintain my weight, it takes just as much "grit and determination" as those who don't have surgery. I watch what I eat, make healthy choices and work my *kitten* off as a tri-athlete. My surgery helped me get started on the journey, but it was not the end of it or the only step I had to make in order to become a healthy, awesome and whole person.

I would do it again in a heartbeat, statistics are against those who have spent a lifetime being morbidly obese, the chances of losing all the weight and keeping it off without intervention of some sort is about 1% (and you can look that up, the statistics are there to back it up).

Do what you need to and let the haters hate, they don't matter anyway. It's like the people who comment on my race times who have never ran a mile in their iife, just let them talk and make themselves look ignorant.

congrats on your sucess now i did my the hard way watching my calories and 3 days at the gym I loss a total of 107lbs so i too have been sucessful

Spoken by someone who has NO CLUE how difficult it is to live successfully after bariatric surgery. There is no 'easy way'. It's all 'the hard way'.

Everyone's journey has different pitfalls and mountains to climb out of and over. For me, because I had the VGS, portion control isn't one of them. I still have to eat right. I hit the gym at least 3 times a week.

Have the surgery, don't have the surgery, either way, the journey is hard, but the joy of LIVING AGAIN, is priceless. No more sitting on the sidelines because I'm too fat, too insecure, too tired, too sad to do anything else.

Refuse to give up, refuse to give in, REFUSE TO LET YOUR HEALTHY SELF DIE, and no matter which path you chose, you will find your success.

congrats on your sucess now i did my the hard way watching my calories and 3 days at the gym I loss a total of 107lbs so i too have been sucessful

Spoken by someone who has NO CLUE how difficult it is to live successfully after bariatric surgery. There is no 'easy way'. It's all 'the hard way'.

Everyone's journey has different pitfalls and mountains to climb out of and over. For me, because I had the VGS, portion control isn't one of them. I still have to eat right. I hit the gym at least 3 times a week.

Have the surgery, don't have the surgery, either way, the journey is hard, but the joy of LIVING AGAIN, is priceless. No more sitting on the sidelines because I'm too fat, too insecure, too tired, too sad to do anything else.

Refuse to give up, refuse to give in, REFUSE TO LET YOUR HEALTHY SELF DIE, and no matter which path you chose, you will find your success.

AMEN! And congrats on your success!

Thanks! Same to you!! Darn good job!!!

It's nice to see and hear from the community of success stories rather than hearing so many "my friend/cousins uncle/friend of a friend, had it and gained it all back" stories. We are definitely out here...but, it comes back to the OP question...so many are not willing to put themselves out there to be judged or criticized.

congrats on your sucess now i did my the hard way watching my calories and 3 days at the gym I loss a total of 107lbs so i too have been sucessful

Spoken by someone who has NO CLUE how difficult it is to live successfully after bariatric surgery. There is no 'easy way'. It's all 'the hard way'.

Everyone's journey has different pitfalls and mountains to climb out of and over. For me, because I had the VGS, portion control isn't one of them. I still have to eat right. I hit the gym at least 3 times a week.

Have the surgery, don't have the surgery, either way, the journey is hard, but the joy of LIVING AGAIN, is priceless. No more sitting on the sidelines because I'm too fat, too insecure, too tired, too sad to do anything else.

Refuse to give up, refuse to give in, REFUSE TO LET YOUR HEALTHY SELF DIE, and no matter which path you chose, you will find your success.

If the journey is hard either way, why pay someone to cut you up and mess around with your organs?

congrats on your sucess now i did my the hard way watching my calories and 3 days at the gym I loss a total of 107lbs so i too have been sucessful

Spoken by someone who has NO CLUE how difficult it is to live successfully after bariatric surgery. There is no 'easy way'. It's all 'the hard way'.

Everyone's journey has different pitfalls and mountains to climb out of and over. For me, because I had the VGS, portion control isn't one of them. I still have to eat right. I hit the gym at least 3 times a week.

Have the surgery, don't have the surgery, either way, the journey is hard, but the joy of LIVING AGAIN, is priceless. No more sitting on the sidelines because I'm too fat, too insecure, too tired, too sad to do anything else.

Refuse to give up, refuse to give in, REFUSE TO LET YOUR HEALTHY SELF DIE, and no matter which path you chose, you will find your success.

If the journey is hard either way, why pay someone to cut you up and mess around with your organs?

Two posts in to the forums and you've come across as non-sympathetic and intolerant to another's choices. There are very few out there that considered surgery first. Look at the people in this thread; They TRIED other things and it didn't work. Going under the knife did work and feel good about themselves. It wasn't a lightly-made decision. I don't want surgery, I don't need it but I sure as heck am NOT going to give anyone crap for getting it.

The journey *is* hard either way, both physically and emotionally, so we should be welcoming and supportive to all who tackle weight loss.

I think anyone who would be down on you for doing what you need to save your own life is a jerk. Period.

I have PCOS, it is a metabolic disorder that causes me to gain weight easily and take it off SLOWLY. I tried everything, literally. Surgery changed my bodies chemical makeup and hormones which helped me to finally be able to control my weight. If you had cancer would you have surgery to remove it? Of course. My obesity was killing me just as surley as untreated cancer would have, so I let my doctor and nutritionist help me make an informed decision about changing my life.

I work hard every.single.day to maintain my weight, it takes just as much "grit and determination" as those who don't have surgery. I watch what I eat, make healthy choices and work my *kitten* off as a tri-athlete. My surgery helped me get started on the journey, but it was not the end of it or the only step I had to make in order to become a healthy, awesome and whole person.

I would do it again in a heartbeat, statistics are against those who have spent a lifetime being morbidly obese, the chances of losing all the weight and keeping it off without intervention of some sort is about 1% (and you can look that up, the statistics are there to back it up).

Do what you need to and let the haters hate, they don't matter anyway. It's like the people who comment on my race times who have never ran a mile in their iife, just let them talk and make themselves look ignorant.

I think it's a bit irresponsible to compare weight issues and weight loss surgery to cancer and the various cancer treatments. I would see weight issues more akin to someone who is a smoker. Like eating in excess, smoking is a BEHAVIOR, that leads to a poor habit and can lead to health concerns. With smoking, conditions like emphysema and/or lung cancer can occur; with weight, it's heart problems, diabetes, etc.

Weight loss surgery is like someone having a brain procedure to remove the section of the brain related to addiction to nicotene. It would be a "tool" to help someone stop smoking. If it worked and the person stops smoking (helping them avoid conditions like lung cancer and/or emphysema), then great. But it's not the same as someone who quits smoking through pure motivation and grit. It's just not the same.

For those of you who have WLS, do you feel the contestants on "The Biggest Loser", for example, are losing weight "the traditional way"? From my perspective, while they worked out and ate less, they also left all of life stresses and have nothing but weight loss to think about. It's an advantage over someone who lives real life and has to balance everything. Again, like WLS, there's nothing wrong with going on the Biggest Loser, but it's "harder" to lose weight without "physical tools" like reconfiguring your innards or removing all of life's responsibilities and stresses (like the Biggest Loser).

So cancer isn't caused by behaviours? Or enviomental factors or genetics? Just retorical really since you answered that question in your very next paragraph. And obviously everyone who knows something causes cancer stops doing whatever it is immediatly, which is why so few people smoke these days, right?

I hate the Biggest Loser because I believe it is a set up for failure in most cases, it's like taking a drug addict and tossing them into rehab cold turkey without any support system or real world behaviour modification.

So half my stomach is gone, that does not stop me from eating ice cream every day, drinking milkshakes and eating slider foods (things that go right though the stomach without making me feel full, I could litereally eat popcorn and chips all day without ever feeling uncomfortable or ill). I can eat all day long in small portions and easily equal all the calories that I could before surgery. And with my surgery I absorb every single calorie I put in, no malabsorption at all.

So tell me again how in the 355 days that I have logged on here, recorded every single bite I have eaten, every single mile I have walked, run, swam and biked I have shown less determination then others who have a whole stomach? Less dedication to the process? Less blood, sweat and tears? Truth be told, most of the non-surgery people on my friends list don't work near as hard at the life changes as I have, and most of them don't do half as much as I do physically.