So, I am watching this Plastic Surgery show and there is this family, sisters, that all underwent gastric bypass....four in total. Well, there was one, the first one to get it that had a terrible story. She was pregnant, her first pregnancy, with twins. Late in her pregnancy she developed toxemia. Both of her twins were stillborn and the doctor told her that she got toxemia and her babies died because of her obesity!! I was very upset by this. Imagine, this doctor basically told her that she killed her babies. Anyway, she went right out and got gastric bypass because of this, even though she barely qualified since she was just over 100 pounds overweight. I can understand this knee jerk reaction, due to her terrible experience.

On the other hand, it was obvious the sisters went and got the surgery because of the now thinner sister. This show was really about the total body lift that they got after the bypass, but it made me think. Do you think that gastric bypass is offered too easy and that doctors are too quick to offer it as an option? I don't know why this show bothered me so much, but it really did.

I kept saying you should have done low-carb to the TV! Any opinion?

You know, gastric bypass in my opinion is dangerous, and really it does not give a person the power they need to truly change their lives, and eating patterns. It is a short term solution to a long term problem.

For myself anyway, I have found that it is more psychological - once I got in the lowcarb habit, it became second nature - and I feel much more in control as I know exactly what I can and cannot eat. This is not a diet, it is a lifestyle, and one that I will never lose again. Falling off the wagon last year was a hard lesson, and one I take to heart - I am not beating myself up, as I learned a lot about my habits, my trigger points, and what I truly want in my life.

I have a friend who is morbidly obese. She was contemplating the surgery, but because she likes to go out and drink and she's a heavy smoker, she decided not to get it because she would have to change her lifestyle. So after all the money she shelled out for tests and doctor visits to get approved for the surgery, she said no. Reason why she did it? Her mom, sister, and now deceased brother-in-law has had the surgery. Her mom is still pretty big. She had lost weight, gained it back, had the surgery again because the doctor didn't do it right, and again has gained it back. Her sister lost a TON of weight..she was huge. Then she got pregnant and gained some back and now is pregnant w/ twins and is steadily gaining it back. Her brother-in-law died of cancer but the surgery played into his death. He was Huge too and lost tons of weight but because of the cancer as well. He died barely a month ago because of a result of the bypass surgery, the stemcell treatment wasn't working like it should because he couldn't eat the things he needed to get stronger and healthier. He developed sepsis and no one knew it. God bless his soul.

Yesterday I was posting this while watching the show, well at the end, it got even better. All told, there were four sisters that went and got gastric bypass. Then, one of their daughters went and got it at only 16 years old! I understand obesity is hard to deal with, as I have dealt with it. I understand it can be difficult to lose the weight. However, these were not women looking at 200-300 pounds to lose, which can be very very daunting. Some of them really needed to lose less than 100 pounds, but their doctors help them play the system so that they could go and get the gastric bypass done. I find that wrong. It seems like gastric bypass is the quick fix and doctors are willing to play into this.

I, for one, would not want to have someone in there changing my organs around, rerouting things. We, as humans, are actually very efficient machines and our construction is created to maximize that efficiency. Now, like with many machines, parts can break or not work too well (my own thyroid for instance) but to completely change the structure of the machine can lead to unforeseen problems, in my opinion.

The biggest thing that bothered my about this show was not the people that went and got this done, because I am sure desperation was driving a lot of their decisions. It was the show itself. They seemed to celebrate these surgeries, even in the 16 year old! Basically the gist of the show was if you're overweight, there's nothing you can do but get this surgery. I can't believe people actually find LC controversial when you have an accepted weight loss solution of cutting out half your stomach and rerouting your intestines? This all seems so insane to me.

My friend Vicky had it in November 2 years ago and died Christmas Eve that year from complications, I think it is too great a risk, besides the diet they have to follow after is a lot more restrictive then any LC diet I know of.

I completely share the instinctive recoil and aversion to this procedure that I am hearing you all express, and have always felt heartsick when friends take this route. I lost a beloved cousin who had an earlier version of the surgery. But in this last year I learned something I think is worth sharing. It's not offered in argument against what is said here--in principle I completely agree. It's just another perspective to consider.

I have a friend who had the stomach pouch surgery a year ago. She's lost a lot of weight--I'd guess close to 100 pounds, and looks a lot more comfortable and happy.

She is through-the-roof intelligent, researched all her options, went through lowcarb several times in which she lost significant amounts of weight and regained because of emotional eating patterns. She could not face that heartbreak one more time. She is in her late forties, and I think that she's missed out on a lot of life because of her weight.

While she was getting lined up to do this, I gently mentioned LC, and she told me her history. I told her that I could understand her reasons, and supported her in her decision. She seemed genuinely appreciative--I think that she wasn't getting much of that reaction.

I think what it comes down to is that this actually does help some people, and those who make a carefully considered decision to do this, having explored all their options, need our support as friends and family members.

It's probably a bit like having friends go through a divorce. In principle, we may be opposed to the idea, but in the individual case, what the person going through it needs is to know that we respect their choice and are there for them when it gets tough.

Everyone I know who's done this is much older than the 16 year old you mentioned, and has made this choice not as an easy way out, but by grabbing a lifeline when they were drowning. Could LC work for some of them? Perhaps--but this is what they were capable of at the time.

I've come to a tough conclusion this year. Having lost 85 pounds, and regained almost 40 before putting on the brakes, I realized that all of my weight gains have been about eating in response to stressful situations. That's pretty serious. I am having to look at the life choices I have made, and ask myself why I am putting myself again and again into such toxic situations. I've also concluded that, while some of the things that life slaps at you are not avoidable, much was.

Once you see something like that, you can't unsee it. Now I get to choose--if I am in a situation where I feel that helpless/hopeless, where I am choking down emotions by eating--I leave. Period. It's life or death, at this point, and I chose to l ive.

It's similar to the decision to have the surgery. Sometimes, there is no other way to go. The cousin who died? After suffering from obesity since early childhood, she lost more than 100 pounds, and enjoyed an improved quality of life for a few years before dying in her sleep. Had she known the outcome, would she have chosen it? I have a feeling the answer may have been yes.

Only those of us who have been there can understand the horror and pain of living in a body that has become a prison--and if other people so imprisoned decide to make a break for the wall, go over the barbed wire, or tunnel out, I say we tell them we love them and wish them well. They'll get the negative feedback from plenty of others.

I think it's important to be sensitive to the fact that some of the folks on this forum have had the surgery. Others may try LC, and eventually opt for the surgery. Still others will have the surgery, and then come to LC as a way of being successful with the surgery. As much as any of us, they need to be supported here while they manage the food side of the program.

This is an important issue for us TDCers. I laud you for bringing it up and expressing how you feel.

I get really tired of the WLS bashing that happens here.

It's more successful (statistically) than low-carbing alone.

No one is forcing you to have it if you don't want to.

Sure some people do it for the wrong reasons, but people get married for the wrong reasons, have kids for the wrong reasons, take drugs for the wrong reasons, do all sorts of things for the wrong reasons.

Sure some people do it in an unhealthy way, but there are lots of people doing low-carb by eating lots of trans fats, inadequate protein and inadequate intakes of vitamins & minerals.

I don't understand why some people care that others choose WLS. What's it to you? It doesn't demean your success on low-carb. They aren't hurting you.

Val

Honestly, it wasn't a bash on WLS, more a concern. Perhaps I am speaking from a position of ignorance about what it takes to even get WLS. My biggest concern on watching this was twofold. First, some of these sisters got it even though they did not qualify and played the system to get the surgery. In other words, they were not heavy enough to get the surgery and manipulated weight, etc to be eligible. Second, I had a really hard time agreeing with a 16 year old girl getting the surgery.

In the cases I watched last night, I completely agreed with one woman's decision to have the surgery. She had been through a traumatic event and felt her weight was to blame. She had tried numerous methods of losing weight, even LC, and was unsuccessful. Listening to her, you could tell she wasn't living life, she was just getting through it. I applauded her decision to have the surgery. I was not so enthusiastic about the other sister's decisions. For example, one got the surgery to get her pregnancy weight off. Really, is that a valid reason to do something so drastic?

But, as I said before, the show's tone is what disturbed me the most. It was WLS or you stay fat for the rest of your life and there are no other options. I disagree with this. However, if WLS is the best solution for yourself, then I say go for it and I would be incredibly supportive. I have an aunt who had the surgery and for her, it was the best thing to ever happen to her. I am happy she got the surgery because she was honestly on death's door and I had seen her struggle for so many years.

Please don't take my comments earlier as insenstive towards those who decide upon WLS. I think it was aimed more towards the show's tone and the way that people who truly don't need the surgery are manipulating the system to get it. If LC didn't work for me, I would have honestly considered WLS myself, but I am lucky. Thus far, LC seems to be working for me and I am thrilled over this, but believe me, I understand that for some, it may not.

I appreciate your expanding on some of your views, Southbel and explaining that you aren't necessarily anti-WLS. I think your post touched on a sensitive spot in me that has been growing lately.

I've always noticed that there is an undercurrent of moral superiority to the low-carb movement. Sometimes we seem so close-minded and narrow-minded as to seem to honestly believe that because low-carb works for us, it will and should work for everyone. And then we become derisive of people that are struggling with it. And I just think it does such a disservice to those that are still trapped in obesity. Low carb isn't the only solution, WW works for some, low fat works for some, and for some, they have tried it all and nothing seems to have worked and they might find help with WLS.

Hand in hand with this, I see that a lot of people judging others that are still obese or eating the standard American diets, or type II diabetics that can't control their disease with diet. Some members here are derisive and insulting to people that are still obese, still in these situations. Mocking them because they are still trapped in eating crap and not exercising, like it is some sort of moral superiority that we aren't anymore. I spent 20-30 years trapped in that hell, and while an outsider might have looked at me and thought I was lazy & gluttonous and not trying hard enough, I got up every morning, tried to start dieting and failed and often cried myself to sleep.

I didn't become a better person when I started low-carbing and exercising, I only became a thinner and healthier one. My insides, my values, my kindness and worth as a human is the same as ever.

Off track and off topic, I'm sorry, but I needed to rant a little.

Val

Well said, both of you, and thanks for clarifying.

Put yourself in the position of the doctors. They might see thousands and thousands of people, and of all these people most will fail to lose significant amounts of weight, and almost none will lose the weight and then keep it off. It's real easy under those circumstances for doctors to develop the mindset that WLS is the best alternative, because that is what their experience and observations tell them. Then you have the mindset that human beings have, "I want it all, I want it now, and I want it easy" -- people are demanding WLS. It isn't just the doctors who are at fault.

My own prediction is that, until some kind of drug is developed to fight obesity, you're going to see more and more people getting WLS, at least in this country. It's almost impossible to make headway against the nexus of food company propaganda and the bizarre mindset of "personal responsibility" that they exploit so well here and attack the causes of obesity, so we're reduced to treating the symptoms. And WLS does a better job of that than anything else.

If I had the money and not afraid of needles....WHEW I'd run and get this surgery-- and a breast reduction/lift and tummy tuck!!!!!!!!!!!

I honestly don't beleive DR.s are being to quick to do the surgery. The obesity rate is alarming- from what the media told me yesterday.

BUT, I do think there is unqualified DRS out there ready to perform it for $$$

I think it is perfectly ok to get the surgery if it is truly nessesary and all the options are weigh out. The problem is whether you have surgery or do any diet, after you lose you have to maintain. And generally people who opt for surgery lose it so quickly they really haven't learned a new way of life. So in my opinion if you need surgery thats fine, but with the understanding you still need to change your habbits. I wish well to anyone that loses weight, because as we know it takes a lot of willpower, especially to maintain.

Before I tried lowcarb I would have had WLS in a second. The misery and self hatred of being fat and having no control over it far outweight the danger of surgery (to me). But now that I have found success with low carb I wouldn't do it. I can totally understand why people do it, even with all the risks. I've only known one person that has had it, and while she did lose some weight initially, she didn't make a long term change in her lifestyle and so it hasn't worked for her. She is in her 60's now and pretty much house-bound, not so much because of her weight but because her hips and knees are wrecked and she is in too much pain to get around. I can't imagine what it feels like to think that your only option didn't work and that the rest of your life will just get worse.

[QUOTE=southbel]Yesterday I was posting this while watching the show, well at the end, it got even better. All told, there were four sisters that went and got gastric bypass. Then, one of their daughters went and got it at only 16 years old! QUOTE]

I believe this was my stepdaughter who had the gastric bypass surgery along with her mother. I don't get discovery health channel but her story has been on about 53 times from what I understand. Unfortuneately the weight loss for the girl has caused her to become even more foul and promiscuous..... It made have fixed the weight problem..but she is in for a lot more problems in the future because of her behaviour.