My 600 pounds life

You're angry about a television program?

DezYaoified wrote: »

Motorsheen wrote: »

You're angry about a television program?

Not about the show itself. Being fat is becoming so normalized that its more acceptable to be fat then it is to lose weight to be healthy.

This is just an untrue statement.

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BelleCurves wrote: »

firef1y72 wrote: »

What puzzles me is that they have to lose 30-50lb in a month to qualify for the surgery. Why claim surgery is the only way you'll lose weight and put yourself in a life threatening situation when you've already proved that you can lose the weight the non-surgical way?

(18 months ago my GP told me the only way I'd lose weight is by surgery, 115lb down so far and the only surgery I had was a hernia repair)

Losing 30 to 50 lbs in a month is NOT the only qualifier for surgery. To lose consistently is demonstrative to the doctor that the patient is serious about weight loss and serious about making the changes necessary to sustain weight loss and follow the prescribed program after surgery.

It's naive to think that for individuals that weigh 600 lbs or more and who suffer from mental issues which affect their weight to believe that just because they are able to lose 50 lbs, they'll be able to lose the next 400 or so they may have to lose to get to a normal weight. Your tone toward surgery seems dismissive - there are obviously many complex issues associated with substantial body weight and weight loss and the path that a person may choose to achieve a healthier life style. It's so easy to judge.

Yes I am dismissive towards surgery. Not only is it life threatening (with the risks being extremely high at 600lb+) but it doesn't actually teach the patient how to deal with their issues surrounding food. I watch the programme and often see that even with the surgery the patients struggle to stick to their "diet". The fact that they are (to quote you) losing consistently means that they have been losing the weight without surgery and could most likely continue to do so with support. But they all seem to think surgery (and everything it entails both during and after) is the easy option, my own feeling is that a sensible eating plan that involves eating less than you burn is a far easier option.

Surgery on 600 pound patients is extremely risky and there aren't many doctors who will operate on patients of this size. The doctor wants his prospective surgery patients to show him that they are capable of following the diet before he puts them under the knife. He also wants to minimize their mortality risks during and post surgery. Surgery isn't a magic bullet. People can have different types of weight loss surgeries and still gain the weight back. It's only a tool. This tool can allow for pretty rapid weight loss results if the patient follows the diet recommendations. But there are constantly people on this show who have difficulty sticking with the diet and their weight loss stalls completely. The patients on the show are typically using food in the way that drug addicts would use cocaine, meth, or heroin. They are completely checking out from life and anesthetizing themselves from their psychological problems. They are physiologically addicted to the sugar, fat, and chemicals in the crappy food they are eating. Their support systems are often extremely dysfunctional, codependent, and/or abusive. And just watch how the immobile patients manipulate their caretakers to bring them their "drug" of food.

What frustrates me the most about this show is that pretty much every patient needs extensive therapy. I don't know why the doctor (or maybe even the producers for better TV) waits so long to refer the patients to therapy, sometimes well into their post-surgical recovery when they aren't making progress. The surgical patients should be psychologically screened and evaluated before surgery. Their support systems should be evaluated and bolstered. People can't get healthy when they are surrounded by negativity and verbal abuse. The caretakers need support and therapy too. I've watched almost every episode of this show over the years and the vast majority of the female patients have severe sexual trauma histories. The woman on last week's show was gang raped at age 16 by her first boyfriend and his friends. You can't separate a history like that from the weight. Trauma needs to be screened for and addressed by a skilled therapist from the beginning.

mommamia30189 wrote: »

I dont have a problem with these people wanting weight loss surgery- However, my issue is that all of the people that have been on the show are food addicts- it shows every one of them eating tons of junk food and fast food, then wondering why they cant lose weight. They eat so horrible how can they think bypass surgery is gonna make them stop. If they wanted to lose weight why dont they stop eating the huge portions and meals and eat fruits and vegetables and lower calories. Its like they havent even tried to stop eating unhealthy.

This fails to address the psychological influences that are effecting the individual. If it were as simple as just change the diet, then no one would be overweight. There are a lot of underlying factors that come into play. Particularly with morbid obesity.

MeeseeksAndDestroy wrote: »

firef1y72 wrote: »

What puzzles me is that they have to lose 30-50lb in a month to qualify for the surgery. Why claim surgery is the only way you'll lose weight and put yourself in a life threatening situation when you've already proved that you can lose the weight the non-surgical way?

(18 months ago my GP told me the only way I'd lose weight is by surgery, 115lb down so far and the only surgery I had was a hernia repair)

Congratulations on your weight loss! Amazing!

I think the idea of the surgery, and I could be wrong, is that doctors don't think they'll have time to lose enough weight before being severely affected by the obesity.

I do agree that in some cases the risks of the surgery outweigh the health risks of remaining obese. I have also seen several cases where people were not in immediate life threatening positions when they underwent surgery. Some not even that overweight. There are long-term implications of the surgery where people need to continue to be mindful of their eating habits. My biggest concerns with having the surgery are: 1) making sure that people have coping strategies to help with any underlying psychological issues, 2) having nutritional education and ongoing monitoring to ensure that they have a plan for life after the surgery, and 3) education on the risks of complications which may occur. Some doctors are amazing at ensure that their patients are well educated about the surgery, surgical options (there are different procedures, sleeves, roux-en-y, lapband, etc), and others not so much. Some doctors cover these things, but people are so scared for their lives that they aren't necessarily taking on board the education that is being provided. I have also seen some people have the surgery and do amazing afterward.

All I'm saying is that it is a very complex situation.

DezYaoified wrote: »

Motorsheen wrote: »

You're angry about a television program?

Not about the show itself. Being fat is becoming so normalized that its more acceptable to be fat then it is to lose weight to be healthy.

Fair enough