Worth Reading
A fascinating article about the psychological and physical effects of weight-loss surgery, with lots of intriguing personal stories.
"In the annals of obesity literature, this is not a topic that’s received a ton of attention. But attend any bariatric support-group meeting, and this much is clear: One has to learn to be skinny. Even the smallest adaptive behaviors take years to shake—buying clothes too big, deeming a subway seat too small, refusing to be first through a crowded bar."
“I was amazed . . . I’m still amazed.” She stops, puts down her cup. “It just amazes me to see how much power comes with prettiness."
"If the woman married when she was thin, had kids, became obese, and then had the surgery, the marriage almost always got a lot better... But if the woman married someone while she was obese and then became pretty...well, then she found a job. Got her colors done. Felt better about herself. And almost every one of those marriages ended in divorce.”
I don't much care for the word "pretty" being used as a synonym for "thin" in that sentence, just for the record. Thanks to Nadeen for the link!
"In the annals of obesity literature, this is not a topic that’s received a ton of attention. But attend any bariatric support-group meeting, and this much is clear: One has to learn to be skinny. Even the smallest adaptive behaviors take years to shake—buying clothes too big, deeming a subway seat too small, refusing to be first through a crowded bar."
“I was amazed . . . I’m still amazed.” She stops, puts down her cup. “It just amazes me to see how much power comes with prettiness."
"If the woman married when she was thin, had kids, became obese, and then had the surgery, the marriage almost always got a lot better... But if the woman married someone while she was obese and then became pretty...well, then she found a job. Got her colors done. Felt better about herself. And almost every one of those marriages ended in divorce.”
I don't much care for the word "pretty" being used as a synonym for "thin" in that sentence, just for the record. Thanks to Nadeen for the link!
4 Comments:
This was a sad article, first they change their bodies under the guise of health, gain and lose husbands and friends as a result.
but then they aren't told for most people the results are temporary as the body makes compensation for the lowered intake of food.
and they don't bother to tell them the average life span of those with WLS is 20 years.
so their results unfortunantly is coming with a heavy price their health and life.
RR
Roberta, most patients maintain significant weight loss 10 years after bariatric surgery, and the effects of this surgery on diabetes, HDL cholesterol, hypertriglyceridemia and hypertension are also maintained at that time. This has now been shown in several papers; I have not seen any papers with longer follow-up than that.
I haven't seen anything on the effects of bariatric surgery on longevity, but it wouldn't surprise me if the mean lifespan following surgery was 20 years, because the average person who has this surgery is in her late 40s, and is in poor health to start with.
I don't mean to say that this surgery is not a risk, but in the vast majority of cases, patients come out of it healthier than they went in.
the decrease in hypertension maybe true, but this is probably due to decreased metabolism not better cardiovascular health.
do you remember biolgoy or physiology in college? then you will remember the results of forced caloirie reduction (eating less by surgury is actually a forced famine)
first to go are the muscles, protein sources which include immunity as teh famine continues as well as organ tissue, then you have some fat loss too, but fat cannot be burned effeciently without sugar and fat cannot be converted to sugar so it has be gotten by protein sources,
second, it doesn't matter whether a 1200 or 1500 caloires diets is attained by self control or lack of space in the stomach and reduced absorption due to surgury it is a famine and as such is dealt with by the body as such,
I have known people who have maintain their 1500 caloire to 1800 caloires diets for 15 years or longer (without surgury or pills) and yet I can see the affects of such a long term famine has had on their health.
they are all flab despite a aerobic and weight workouts you can see the fatigue and they have developed some health problems due to their long term famines.
and I have seen those who have had wls and lost weight they look sick their skin is sunken in their skin lacks luster and are more fat than muscles you can see it even if they are thin they looked like concentration camp survivors.
and as for triglycerids going down that is the result of the body metabolising it due to the famine. I am sure any famine weight loss is going to be deadly in the long run and if someone is 40 gets wls and lives 20 years they are still 60 then if they die hardly increasing longetivity by losing weight. my grandmothers on both sides lived until their 80's and 90's and they were grossly overweight. 350 pounds on average.
i know alot of people who lived to be very old who were very fat.and I have known alot of thin people who never made it past 60.
fat itself doesn't cause disease it is sometimes found with the cause of the disease but it no more causes disease then being thin causes disease (not unless that thinness is artifical)
I speak from 25 years of dieting and exercising I see what happens when you restrict caloires with a view to weight loss and mainteancne and I can tell you it is not pretty.
RR
In regards to 20 year life expectance after wls- I would rather have those years be full of life, being active, and loving the skin I live in. So I am talking quality of life here. Wls enables people to be more invovled in life and hopefully learn to make healthier choices then they did in the first 40 years of their life. One has to remember that it is vitally important to longeivity to love your life.
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