Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.
More people need to get educated on weight loss surgery.
Options
Replies
-
While i personally don't believe that surgery should be an answer for people, I have at least one friend who has had it done. She initially had the band. She went from morbidly obese to a very healthy weight - not stick thin or wanting to wear a bikini, but no one would have called her "fat." She remained in this range for a number of years, at least 6 years that I'm aware of. Her lifestyle, you would think, would have adjusted.
Eventually her band started to act up, and she's had to undergo several more surgeries. During this time, the band was deflated and then removed and over this period (a couple year process I believe) and the resulting side effects, she put on a LOT of the weight she had lost. She got to the point of being obese again.
She has since had gastric bypass done, and is starting to lose weight again.
It certainly hasn't been easy for her, and an infection made things nearly life threatening, BUT, she has lost weight with it and kept it off for a number of years. Losing weight again.
OBVIOUSLY her ability to eat a bunch of food or not is why she is, or is not, overweight, yet even after YEARS of eating smaller portions, it took almost no time for the weight to pile back on.
This kind of makes me scratch my head. The healthier eating levels obviously were not a part of her life, because without the physical restriction, right back at it. Kind of baffles me, but its what's worked for her.
Oh, and I've never seen her promote it to other people as an "easy" fix or even a good idea. The surgeries and costs alone have made it hard for her, and the side effects were even worse.8 -
Jjanejellyroll wrote: »I personally don’t care what someone else chooses to do with their body, I however on my journey to being healthy and thinner I look up to woman/men who haven’t had gastric surgery because I admire the strength & dedication that it takes not just to workout but the struggle to go out and have to face temptation and either say no or make a healthier choice and watch your portion. Someone how has had any kind of gastric surgery has a smaller stomach, they can only eat as much as an egg or so = reducing the amount of calories you can take in. Just my humble opinion and everyone should choose whatever path works for them.
WLS patients literally do the exact same thing. And they can eat well more than an egg.
Sorry but it’s Not the same.
What do you see as the key differences?
People who have had WLS will still have the urge to eat, they still have to watch their portions, they're still facing the same sorts of temptations we all face. They may be restricted in how much they can eat, but they're still capable of consuming more energy than their body can use.
Listen how I feel shouldn’t make a difference to you. Having surgery is a little help that the rest of us don’t get. Tell me why not just do it without surgery? I personally was at a point where I couldn’t bend over I was so unhealthy and unhappy till I hit rock bottom so to speak and said enoug is enough. I took my fat butt to the gym and read about how to lose weight and began my life style change. I’m still so far but I have gotten here all by myself and as I started in my original post I admire that in women who do it “naturally”. Again how I feel shouldn’t make a difference to you. You have a good night.
That's like saying you don't respect someone with a college degree because their parents paid for their tuition. The work to get the degree is the same, they just don't have as big of a financial burden.
Do you also not respect people who lose weight with a personal trainer? or use a food delivery service so that they dont have to plan and make their own food? There are a million ways that people get a little more help that others don't. I respect anyone who has the strength to lose weight no matter what method they choose to do it. Weight loss is not easy no matter who you are or what you do. It is not a contest on who has it harder or who has to face the most struggles.
You have the right to your opinion as do I. Also just to be clear I didn’t say I don’t respect anyone, Its simply how I feel you may not like it and I’m ok with that. It may not be the popular opinion but it’s mine. I’m not on here to argue with you or anyone else. Have yourself a nice day ✌7 -
I personally don’t care what someone else chooses to do with their body, I however on my journey to being healthy and thinner I look up to woman/men who haven’t had gastric surgery because I admire the strength & dedication that it takes not just to workout but the struggle to go out and have to face temptation and either say no or make a healthier choice and watch your portion. Someone how has had any kind of gastric surgery has a smaller stomach, they can only eat as much as an egg or so = reducing the amount of calories you can take in. Just my humble opinion and everyone should choose whatever path works for them.
Funny I have had RNY gasyric bypass and i can eat more than an egg. It is also a malabsorptive procedure.4 -
Jjanejellyroll wrote: »I personally don’t care what someone else chooses to do with their body, I however on my journey to being healthy and thinner I look up to woman/men who haven’t had gastric surgery because I admire the strength & dedication that it takes not just to workout but the struggle to go out and have to face temptation and either say no or make a healthier choice and watch your portion. Someone how has had any kind of gastric surgery has a smaller stomach, they can only eat as much as an egg or so = reducing the amount of calories you can take in. Just my humble opinion and everyone should choose whatever path works for them.
WLS patients literally do the exact same thing. And they can eat well more than an egg.
Sorry but it’s Not the same.
What do you see as the key differences?
People who have had WLS will still have the urge to eat, they still have to watch their portions, they're still facing the same sorts of temptations we all face. They may be restricted in how much they can eat, but they're still capable of consuming more energy than their body can use.
Listen how I feel shouldn’t make a difference to you. Having surgery is a little help that the rest of us don’t get. Tell me why not just do it without surgery? I personally was at a point where I couldn’t bend over I was so unhealthy and unhappy till I hit rock bottom so to speak and said enoug is enough. I took my fat butt to the gym and read about how to lose weight and began my life style change. I’m still so far but I have gotten here all by myself and as I started in my original post I admire that in women who do it “naturally”. Again how I feel shouldn’t make a difference to you. You have a good night.
That's like saying you don't respect someone with a college degree because their parents paid for their tuition. The work to get the degree is the same, they just don't have as big of a financial burden.
Do you also not respect people who lose weight with a personal trainer? or use a food delivery service so that they dont have to plan and make their own food? There are a million ways that people get a little more help that others don't. I respect anyone who has the strength to lose weight no matter what method they choose to do it. Weight loss is not easy no matter who you are or what you do. It is not a contest on who has it harder or who has to face the most struggles.
You have the right to your opinion as do I. Also just to be clear I didn’t say I don’t respect anyone, Its simply how I feel you may not like it and I’m ok with that. It may not be the popular opinion but it’s mine. I’m not on here to argue with you or anyone else. Have yourself a nice day ✌
But you're in the DEBATE forum. If you post your opinion here, you should expect others to ... debate it. That's literally why this section of the forum is here.
I didn't initially respond to the OP because I honestly didn't understand why it was posted. I mean we do usually challenge posters to consider all their options before choosing surgery, but I don't think I've ever seen criticism or disrespect for someone whose had one of the surgeries.
IMHO I think because there are risks to any surgery and weight loss is possible for almost anyone by other means, surgery should be a last resort to head off imminent health issues. But it would never occur to me that it's "easy". Recovering from surgery, dealing with the months of severe restriction, discomfort when the rules aren't followed. And plenty of peeps still gain the weight back. Doesn't sound easy to me <shrug>.13 -
One of my good friends who had the bypass surgery several years ago is in hospice right now, in kidney and liver failure as a result of type 2 diabetes. A few days ago she gave the order to stop food and fluids and now is just waiting. The surgery sometimes reverses diabetes but it didn't for her. She lost a lot of weight, but not enough that she wasn't still what a stranger would call "really fat," and she nearly died from complications of the surgery which lasted over a year, and then she stretched her stomach pouch back out due to refusing to change her eating habits.
The surgery was nightmarish for her and in the long term did not save her life. But when she got it, she was unable to walk without assistance and her doctor believed she would die in six months, and it has been I think seven years. So, not a complete success, but seven years of life is not nothing, either.
I wish I understood what about her drove her to be unable to change her lifestyle. She is a brilliant person otherwise, and strong willed and responsible. But she also made garlic mashed potatoes with alouette dip which were the best tasting, fattiest thing, and then she ate them even though after her surgery they made her throw up. I wish she had lived her life differently, so she could keep living. I'm going to miss her.35 -
Jjanejellyroll wrote: »I personally don’t care what someone else chooses to do with their body, I however on my journey to being healthy and thinner I look up to woman/men who haven’t had gastric surgery because I admire the strength & dedication that it takes not just to workout but the struggle to go out and have to face temptation and either say no or make a healthier choice and watch your portion. Someone how has had any kind of gastric surgery has a smaller stomach, they can only eat as much as an egg or so = reducing the amount of calories you can take in. Just my humble opinion and everyone should choose whatever path works for them.
WLS patients literally do the exact same thing. And they can eat well more than an egg.
Sorry but it’s Not the same.
What do you see as the key differences?
People who have had WLS will still have the urge to eat, they still have to watch their portions, they're still facing the same sorts of temptations we all face. They may be restricted in how much they can eat, but they're still capable of consuming more energy than their body can use.
Listen how I feel shouldn’t make a difference to you. Having surgery is a little help that the rest of us don’t get. Tell me why not just do it without surgery? I personally was at a point where I couldn’t bend over I was so unhealthy and unhappy till I hit rock bottom so to speak and said enoug is enough. I took my fat butt to the gym and read about how to lose weight and began my life style change. I’m still so far but I have gotten here all by myself and as I started in my original post I admire that in women who do it “naturally”. Again how I feel shouldn’t make a difference to you. You have a good night.
That's like saying you don't respect someone with a college degree because their parents paid for their tuition. The work to get the degree is the same, they just don't have as big of a financial burden.
Do you also not respect people who lose weight with a personal trainer? or use a food delivery service so that they dont have to plan and make their own food? There are a million ways that people get a little more help that others don't. I respect anyone who has the strength to lose weight no matter what method they choose to do it. Weight loss is not easy no matter who you are or what you do. It is not a contest on who has it harder or who has to face the most struggles.
You have the right to your opinion as do I. Also just to be clear I didn’t say I don’t respect anyone, Its simply how I feel you may not like it and I’m ok with that. It may not be the popular opinion but it’s mine. I’m not on here to argue with you or anyone else. Have yourself a nice day ✌
But you're in the DEBATE forum. If you post your opinion here, you should expect others to ... debate it. That's literally why this section of the forum is here.
I didn't initially respond to the OP because I honestly didn't understand why it was posted. I mean we do usually challenge posters to consider all their options before choosing surgery, but I don't think I've ever seen criticism or disrespect for someone whose had one of the surgeries.
IMHO I think because there are risks to any surgery and weight loss is possible for almost anyone by other means, surgery should be a last resort to head off imminent health issues. But it would never occur to me that it's "easy". Recovering from surgery, dealing with the months of severe restriction, discomfort when the rules aren't followed. And plenty of peeps still gain the weight back. Doesn't sound easy to me <shrug>.
The title read “more people need to get educated on weight loss surgery” and I was responding I didn’t see anywhere we’re it said debate. Being that I was obese and have lost weight naturally (still have a lot to go) and I look up to those like me and they inspire me. At one point I was thinking of surgery but once I saw I could do it on my own surgery was off the table. Naturally is better. Y’all have yourselves a great day!7 -
rheddmobile wrote: »One of my good friends who had the bypass surgery several years ago is in hospice right now, in kidney and liver failure as a result of type 2 diabetes. A few days ago she gave the order to stop food and fluids and now is just waiting. The surgery sometimes reverses diabetes but it didn't for her. She lost a lot of weight, but not enough that she wasn't still what a stranger would call "really fat," and she nearly died from complications of the surgery which lasted over a year, and then she stretched her stomach pouch back out due to refusing to change her eating habits.
The surgery was nightmarish for her and in the long term did not save her life. But when she got it, she was unable to walk without assistance and her doctor believed she would die in six months, and it has been I think seven years. So, not a complete success, but seven years of life is not nothing, either.
I wish I understood what about her drove her to be unable to change her lifestyle. She is a brilliant person otherwise, and strong willed and responsible. But she also made garlic mashed potatoes with alouette dip which were the best tasting, fattiest thing, and then she ate them even though after her surgery they made her throw up. I wish she had lived her life differently, so she could keep living. I'm going to miss her.
So sorry, rheddmobile.1 -
janejellyroll wrote: »
What do you see as the key differences?
People who have had WLS will still have the urge to eat, they still have to watch their portions, they're still facing the same sorts of temptations we all face. They may be restricted in how much they can eat, but they're still capable of consuming more energy than their body can use.
The bolded section is exactly why I agree with the OP that people need to be better informed before they opt for WLS, not necessarily to turn them off from it if that is what they want to do, but so that they are better prepared to cope with life afterwards and have a better chance at success.
My brother was told before he had it done that the surgery would change his hormone levels and he wouldn't even be hungry. While that might have been true at first, it certainly wasn't true for the long term, and he has said that he was surprised as anything to find that the drive to eat was till there and he wasn't prepared for it, such as passing a pizza parlor and smelling the pizza giving him cravings that he couldn't satisfy. It wasn't easy by any means!7 -
Here's my experience with WLS: I am a former VSG patient from 2007. This weight loss surgery was for cosmetic reasons only. I wasn't extremely obese and wanted the easy way out. That's how I see it now but didn't back then. After losing all this weight, I couldn't eat for months and I started feeling skinny and sexy and I was able to dress sexy. Well this was a trigger for me to drink. Drinking wine was way easier then eating. My drinking progressed in a years time after my surgery. To make a long story short, with God's help, I have 9 years sober. My addiction transfer was to sugar and carbs. I started grazing and have gained all my weight back.
Weight loss surgery is "A double edged sword". Here's how I see it; you need to lose weight because of high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, which can lead to heart issues. There is also joint pain, etc.... What got you there in the first place i.e., food addiction? It is a symptom of something deeper. If this isn't dealt with, addiction transfer is inevitable. Remember, all addictions, if not dealt with, will lead to death.
My lesson: There are no "easy-way" outs. Hard work it what it takes to be successful in a healthy mind and spirit. Having a relationship with God has been a big part of my alcohol recovery so I am going to work this journey the same way.
Question: Has anybody else experienced the VSG in this way? Am I alone?10 -
JeromeBarry1 wrote: »Yachts need bling. That's what bariatric surgery is really for.
ಠ_ಠ0 -
Here's my experience with WLS: I am a former VSG patient from 2007. This weight loss surgery was for cosmetic reasons only. I wasn't extremely obese and wanted the easy way out. That's how I see it now but didn't back then. After losing all this weight, I couldn't eat for months and I started feeling skinny and sexy and I was able to dress sexy. Well this was a trigger for me to drink. Drinking wine was way easier then eating. My drinking progressed in a years time after my surgery. To make a long story short, with God's help, I have 9 years sober. My addiction transfer was to sugar and carbs. I started grazing and have gained all my weight back.
Weight loss surgery is "A double edged sword". Here's how I see it; you need to lose weight because of high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, which can lead to heart issues. There is also joint pain, etc.... What got you there in the first place i.e., food addiction? It is a symptom of something deeper. If this isn't dealt with, addiction transfer is inevitable. Remember, all addictions, if not dealt with, will lead to death.
My lesson: There are no "easy-way" outs. Hard work it what it takes to be successful in a healthy mind and spirit. Having a relationship with God has been a big part of my alcohol recovery so I am going to work this journey the same way.
Question: Has anybody else experienced the VSG in this way? Am I alone?
Cross Addictions is very popular. You have to deal with the reasons why you eat or you will either regain or switch your addiction. You are not alone but I am glad you got through that and have maintained your sobriety!1 -
janejellyroll wrote: »peaceout_aly wrote: »Livematthew25 wrote: »Weight loss surgery is not the easy way out. If you think it is, you have been lied to. There is a very long approval process and a very long adjustment period after. There can be pain, sickness and follow-up surgeries afterwards not to mention comments made in ignorance by people who have no clue what you go through emotionally, physically, spiritually and finacially. All of this just to get you a little closer to being ready to diet and EXERCISE for the rest of your life just like everyone else or gain it all back! There are no free rides!! Surgery is a tool not a free ride!! I put this under debate because I know a lot of people are against getting the surgery.
I wish I could tag my M.I.L in this. She got weight loss surgery and is using it as an out to eat the same, not exercise, etc. I keep trying to tell her that just because the weight is gone does not mean she is now healthy, but she doesn't get it. Never will.
Unless I'm misunderstanding the post, if her excess weight is gone then she's not eating the same as she was before. She's eating less.
She's gaining everything back. Not eating less.0 -
I would agree that education and extensive counseling, mostly psychological, prior to any surgical intervention, but not in line with the OP, more on the individual considering the surgical intervention.
You are partially correct in that this is not an easy way out, but the marketing around the procedure does not reflect this. Risk and consequence is minimized beyond that of objective evidence and the benefits are promoted.
What this and every other similar marketing gimmick is attempting to do is selling sacrifice of one thing for another. In this case the suggestion that stomach size and hormones are primary root causes which drive one to overeat, but a review of the evidence does not suggest this.
Weight is an output of behavior. The idea behind surgical intervention is to create a dramatic scenario which will force a series of habits on the patient, but without extensive counselling and followup this will result in failure. Note this is reflected in the comparative success rate after two years - varying by procedure from 49-73%. This is in comparison to the 20-55% success rate of non-surgical weight loss. However noting that most diet programs are unsustainable in the long term as they fail to teach the discipline required for proper management.
The data suggests that long term counseling and follow up is of far more value than the procedure itself. ...but I guess it's human nature to expect something in return and an immediate procedure seems more tangible than years of talking.
5 -
While i personally don't believe that surgery should be an answer for people, I have at least one friend who has had it done. She initially had the band. She went from morbidly obese to a very healthy weight - not stick thin or wanting to wear a bikini, but no one would have called her "fat." She remained in this range for a number of years, at least 6 years that I'm aware of. Her lifestyle, you would think, would have adjusted.
I think many of the responders to this debate this of WLS as only the gastric bypass. Because people can still eat the same afterwards (after the honeymoon period) and re-stretch out their stomach, people think WLS has no advantage. I might agree with you on gastric bypass. But the lap band/sleeve PHYSICALLY constrains the person as to how much they can eat. So for a person who does not have the willpower to change their habits, it FORCES them to eat less calories, resulting in weight loss. Yes, there are still ways around it, like drinking your calories, but it's a lot harder. For people with life threatening medical issues who just WILL NOT change their habits...but who still want to live, this is a viable procedure to me.1 -
I am one of who is against the surgery. After surgery you need also to take care of your food if not then you may gain weight again. Actually, I know some people who did weight loss surgery and they did not keep their food good, they gain weight and become worse than before.4
-
Livematthew25 wrote: »Weight loss surgery is not the easy way out. If you think it is, you have been lied to. There is a very long approval process and a very long adjustment period after. There can be pain, sickness and follow-up surgeries afterwards not to mention comments made in ignorance by people who have no clue what you go through emotionally, physically, spiritually and finacially. All of this just to get you a little closer to being ready to diet and EXERCISE for the rest of your life just like everyone else or gain it all back! There are no free rides!! Surgery is a tool not a free ride!! I put this under debate because I know a lot of people are against getting the surgery.
I think unless you’ve been told that you have probably a week to live due to your weight then you should aim to eat less and move more until you lose that weight3 -
I think if you have a week to live, it's already too late, tbh.
My dad and sister have both had WLS. My sister has had complications; she had the surgery in its earlier days, but by and large, she has kept the weight off. My dad's in better shape than that.
They were pushing for me to have it too. My main reason for rejecting it was looking at the pre- and post-surgery food list and recognizing that I'd basically have to change too much of my diet. (I'm an ovo-lacto vegetarian; I eat a lot of legumes and whole grains. I couldn't see giving them up for months.) I'm glad I didn't have the WLS. But I'm glad that my dad and sister are still around.16 -
I have known several people in my life who had the surgery, who were facing clinical depression and anxiety and were just barely functional enough to go to work and fulfill their minimum responsibilities, if that. In all the cases, their mental states were very much tied to being obese and feeling shame, guilt, and self-loathing. They were stuck in patterns they were not able to get out of. On top of this, weight gain is an unfortunate side effect of many anti-depressants.
Even though these were all people I love, and I thought I could sympathize, I didn't truly empathize or understand their decisions to get the surgery until very recently. Stuck in a depression like that, these individuals did not have the energy to do even the smallest amount of effort towards weight loss, and they felt like they had a huge mountain to climb in front of them. I truly believe in cases like these, the surgery is more to give the person the boost they need to get going. To see the changes right away and that big drop on the scale, in combination with more traditional approaches to treating the depression, seems to have greatly helped these few people in my life.
I think most people understand at this point that the stomach can stretch back out and maintenance is a lifelong endeavor (as it is with traditional weight loss). But I think there are people that need that initial boost that WLS can provide, and that's fine with me.5 -
phillygirl629 wrote: »I have known several people in my life who had the surgery, who were facing clinical depression and anxiety and were just barely functional enough to go to work and fulfill their minimum responsibilities, if that. In all the cases, their mental states were very much tied to being obese and feeling shame, guilt, and self-loathing. They were stuck in patterns they were not able to get out of. On top of this, weight gain is an unfortunate side effect of many anti-depressants.
Even though these were all people I love, and I thought I could sympathize, I didn't truly empathize or understand their decisions to get the surgery until very recently. Stuck in a depression like that, these individuals did not have the energy to do even the smallest amount of effort towards weight loss, and they felt like they had a huge mountain to climb in front of them. I truly believe in cases like these, the surgery is more to give the person the boost they need to get going. To see the changes right away and that big drop on the scale, in combination with more traditional approaches to treating the depression, seems to have greatly helped these few people in my life.
I think most people understand at this point that the stomach can stretch back out and maintenance is a lifelong endeavor (as it is with traditional weight loss). But I think there are people that need that initial boost that WLS can provide, and that's fine with me.
I guess I don't really understand this: if one doesn't have the energy to do even the smallest amount of effort towards weight loss, then surgery isn't going to be a solution either. From what I understand, being successful with the surgery also requires energy, planning, determination, and will powder.5 -
hmmm, I guess my fitness pal Is not a no judgment zone. Ha5
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 388 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.4K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 912 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions