gastric bypass

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Replies

  • bmeadows380
    bmeadows380 Posts: 2,982 Member
    mph323 wrote: »
    scarlett_k wrote: »
    The 'nonsense' I think was regarding the claim of it being the "ONLY medically proven way to fight obesity long term". I'm sure many people have success long term with surgery, but it is certainly not the only way. If it is, it would be great to see evidence (good quality medical studies) that support that claim.

    Yes, thank you. Many, many people have been successful losing weight and keeping it off using WLS, but it's emphatically not the only way to fight obesity long term.

    I completely agree. WLS is a tool that is effective for many people, but it is certainly not the ONLY effective method and certainly not always the best method for everyone. Further, as SezxyStef pointed out, the success rate with WLS isn't 100% either, and there are patients who gain their weight back in 5 years just like those who used diet and exercise. The difference for both WLS patients and the dieters is that they went into it looking at it as a temporary fix instead of a permanent lifestyle change. They allowed old habits to creep back in, and in time, the body can adapt to the increased food intake.

    I've seen successful surgeries and stories, and I've seen not-so-successful ones. I think its a shame, though, that WLS is being pushed so hard and heavy these days as a first option. In many cases, it comes down to money and not what is the patient's best interest, and the amount of propganda surrounding it is overwhelming. It's very hard to find honest evaluations of long term effects of WLS surgery, what it does to the body 10, 20, 30 years later and especially for the newer types. The big bad these days is obesity and the medical world seems to think any is better so are quick to push new things to fight it, like a lot of the new weight loss drugs. We've seen this knee-jerk kind of response in the past, and the results in later years are not always pretty; things that were pushed as healthy and good turned out to not be that at all and resulted in a lot of heartache. For example: research the drug thalidomide.

    I'm not knocking the surgery . I have a cousin who had it down about 10 years ago, and it changed her life. She dealt with a lot of complications because of it, but she has managed to keep the weight off. My sister in law had it done last year and has lost 200 lbs, but I honestly don't see her being a long term success story because she had the surgery done more for vanity reasons than anything else, and now, a year later, she's not following the diet she is supposed to be following, she's drinking way too much alcohol, and she refuses to exercise. In short, she's already learning to cheat the system, and it's going to backfire on her.

    My brother had it done today. He's a fit guy, exercises a lot, and he's very dedicated and regimented. However, he had trouble in the past sticking to a diet and so he tended to gain his weight back. I disagree with his decision to have the surgery at this point in his life, but it is his life and his body and his choice. However, I know that he has a better chance at being one of the success stories because of his dedication, unlike his wife.

    I have another cousin who is going through the process now to have it done, and I'm on the fence as to whether or not its going to be successful for her. On the one hand, it may truly be her last option, but on the other, she's not a really dedicated person and she's surrounded by people who are not very supportive of her, so I don't know if it will work for her long term or not.

    I've also had friends and acquaintances that had the surgery done in the past and wished they hadn't done it. Others folks had such a positive experience that they are quick to try to push it onto everyone.

    My concerns with it are this: its a radical, permanent thing you are doing to your body. It has to be approached as a lifestyle change - a permanent one, and it has to be understood that it is in no way the "easy" way out. I personally think a person should actively pursue all other options first and that WLS should truly be a last resort - not the first thing a doctor suggests to a patient. However, if a person's life is in immediate danger because of their weight, if they have serious medical conditions and have tried other methods to lose weight and fail, then WLS may be the answer they need. But please do the research, and not just focusing on the success stories or the propaganda that is out there on it. There are serious side effects and permanent health concerns that you need to understand before considering it. Make sure you know all the facts - both the good and the ugly - and go into it informed. Just browse after surgery websites and bariatric cookbooks to see how complicated it can be, especially the first stages after the surgery. Talk to those who have had it done and see what their daily routine has to be, and then decide if this is a lifestyle you can live with.

    Then, if you and your doctor agree this is the option for you, go for it! It can be radically life changing! Just understand its in no way easy. In any case, I'm not trying to knock those who have done it - I congratulate those who've done it and been successful. What I am standing against, however, are those who think that WLS is the great obesity panacea these days and who try to push it onto everyone. Weight loss is not a once size fits all kind of thing - its very individual, and each person needs to find a method that will work for them personally and will result in a lifestyle they can maintain, because we as humans rarely ever succeed in forcing ourselves to do things we hate for very long.

    For me personally, WLS is not an option I want to take. I've done my research and just do not believe its the kind of commitment I want to make. For me, calorie counting works and I prefer the freedom it leaves me. If, when I'm older, I develop health issues and other methods fail, I might consider it, but not at this point in my life.

  • rbiss
    rbiss Posts: 422 Member
    I'm going through the process now to get weight loss surgery. For 6 months I have to prove that I can either maintain or loose weight. They want to see the lifestyle changes now that I will need post surgery. There is no way weight loss surgery is easy. You loose hair, your on vitamins the rest of your life, you can't eat and drink at the same time. Life is really different and you have to be very regimented in order to keep your stomach small. The only thing surgery does is restrict the amount of calories your body consumes. Some people just can't do this on their own, and weight loss surgery is a TOOL. It's important to remember that it's a tool because it is possible to stretch the stomach out again with previous bad habits. Knowing all the pros and cons, I am leaning towards not getting the surgery and giving calorie counting one last go. Like a previous poster said, why go through a permanent change if you don't have too.
  • nevadavis1
    nevadavis1 Posts: 331 Member
    moogie_fit wrote: »
    Gastric bypass surgery is the ONLY medically proven way to fight obesity long term. It is life changing AND necessary for some people. A lot of ppl with it end up having to supplement with ensure or other high calorie options and cannot eat 'real' food anymore. But this is the price some must pay for their lives and survival

    First, no, many people do lose weight through lifestyle changes and keep it off. But also weight loss surgery is a medical intervention so it is studied medically. People who simply decide to give MFP a try, without their doctor even suggesting it (like in my case) aren't being studied, unless we seek out the weight loss registry. Nobody has studied other ways someone might lose a lot of weight--such as moving to a new location where there is less junk food, more physical activity, and more social support... or whatever... Nobody has done a medical study on the hand-slapping-diet where someone slaps your hand whenever you reach for more food... I know those are silly examples. But if it's not studied, then it's an unknown quantity in terms of medical studies, but other things, people here, the weight loss registry, etc support that people can maintain weight loss over the long-term.
  • bmeadows380
    bmeadows380 Posts: 2,982 Member
    rbiss wrote: »
    I'm going through the process now to get weight loss surgery. For 6 months I have to prove that I can either maintain or loose weight. They want to see the lifestyle changes now that I will need post surgery. There is no way weight loss surgery is easy. You loose hair, your on vitamins the rest of your life, you can't eat and drink at the same time. Life is really different and you have to be very regimented in order to keep your stomach small. The only thing surgery does is restrict the amount of calories your body consumes. Some people just can't do this on their own, and weight loss surgery is a TOOL. It's important to remember that it's a tool because it is possible to stretch the stomach out again with previous bad habits. Knowing all the pros and cons, I am leaning towards not getting the surgery and giving calorie counting one last go. Like a previous poster said, why go through a permanent change if you don't have too.

    Thank you! Well said, and I wish you the best of luck, whether or not you go ahead with the surgery!