On "Fat Nation" last night they showed a woman who was morbidly obese - weighed 30 stone. Her and her partner wanted children but she couldn't have them at the weight she was so she went and got most of her stomach removed to stop her eating so much!!

I don't know for sure but it looked like she was having the op done on the NHS, which seems like a complete misdirection of NHS money.
But whether it was NHS or not, surely if this woman wanted kids so badly then she should lose weight by eating less, not taking the easy option of surgery as it isn't going to change her attitude to food.
If she can't take care of her own diet and health how is she going to be responsible for her children health and eating?

Taking surgery as an easy oprion does seem to be a growing trend (spreading, surprise surprise from America).

Last weekend on MTV there was a programme called I'm Obese, which featured a 58 stone woman in her 30's and a 30 stone lad of 18.

The women claimed to eat healthily whilst sat down eating deep fried chicken (?????) and the young lad refused point blank to stop eating junk food (thats ALL he ate) as the surgery would 'do it for him' so why should he bother making any changes himself???

This attitude of surgery as a miracle cure absolutely beggars belief, when on the whole all it really takes is a bit of common sense to stop eating crap that is loaded with fat, add in some wholegrains, plenty of fruit and veg and a little bit of willingness to get up of your ass for 30 minutes a day (even if its just for a walk around the block!).

Unfortunately this approach seems to require too much effort for a growing number who would rather lie back and risk major surgery rather than take a little bit of responsibility for their own path in life.

In regards to the 18 year old why should he be helped. I realise he is in the states where money talks and not moral obligation but honestly?

Isn't there also supposed to be a point where if you are too heavy surgery is too risky? How does it work for the stomach removal???

Having been close to a 16 year old who is becoming larger with each passing month no matter what you do to try to help..I think in some instances the people like those mentioned above are just 1st class lazy.
I fear this girl of 16 may be facing the knife at some point in her life if she doesn't get off her rear end and do something about it...even the doctors have refused to help...what can you do?

Moon

What gets me is that everyone is capable of losing weight. I just don't get the argument of 'I've tried every diet under the sun, and I can't loose weight'. It's all about will power, which people are lacking. My weight has gone up and down over the years, but I have a line that I will not step over which is about 1 stone over my ideal/1 dress size. I go through phases of being super healthy, exercising like mad, and have a great figure, then let it go for a bit due to some sort of circumstances, but when I get to a certain size/weight, I hate it that much that I make myself loose it again. I've never been a naturally thin person, I have to work at it as I only have to look at food and I put on weight!
These people who resort to surgery are looking for an easy way out, but what actually happens is they'll end up bursting the staples in the stomach, or if had liposuction, they'll end up putting it all back on again, because for whatever reason they don't care enough about themselves to have the umph and willpower to do it for themselves. They haven't solved the initial underlying problem of overeating.
At the end of the day, it's about the person and how they feel. If they really want to and aren't just being lazy, they can loose weight by a combination of diet and exercise, whichever diet they choose, but it can be done. It may take a long time, but they've got to stick with it and not get bored with it.
I do sympathise, food can be like an addiction for some, and for me, I can only compare it to giving up smoking. It's not easy, you crave, but you've got to be strong. So when you crave that junk food, you have to stop yourself, not kid yourself and think 'oh it won't hurt just this once', then tell everyone that you're on a diet but can't loose weight! Its kidding yourself.
Surgery is extremelly dangerous in obese people and I can't believe that doctors are willing to do it.

Originally posted by Foxxx
everyone is capable of losing weight.
Do you think that everyone is capable of gaining weight as well? If so, how? I'm eating as much as I can :thumbsup:

how to gain weight - try lots nad lots of pasta - that is what did it for me in the end. Oh and not doing a great deal.

Moon

You have to be really strong and change what you eat.
The most important thing is do it for yourself and no one else.

Cut out Chocolate, bread, crisps, sweets, biscuits and cakes.

Then make an effort to exercise and watch it drop off.

I would never have surgery for anything, I have been given what I`ve got and It`s my fault if I decide not to change it by not eating healthy and exercising.

Originally posted by Foxxx
What gets me is that everyone is capable of losing weight. I just don't get the argument of 'I've tried every diet under the sun, and I can't loose weight'. It's all about will power, which people are lacking.

While that is true for a lot of people it isn't true for all. Just one basic example is an underactive thyroid. I have two friends who said that diets didn't work. After being tested they were both accutley underactive and now are on thyroxin for life.

Some people do have genetic problems that cause weight problems.

Originally posted by Rubysoho
The women claimed to eat healthily whilst sat down eating deep fried chicken (?????) and the young lad refused point blank to stop eating junk food (thats ALL he ate) as the surgery would 'do it for him' so why should he bother making any changes himself???

The surgery won't correct all the health defects the junk food will do to their bodies.

So they'll still die young, only thin not fat!

Is it true that the US consumes 98% of the world's resources?

If you've got an underactive thyroid then losing weight is difficult - although drugs can help bring thyroid activity back to 'normal' levels, but weight control can still be difficult.

Also, if you're on steroids for medical reasons, they will cause weight gain, and there are numerous metabolic deficiencies that impact on fat metabolism.

But yes, the vast majority of people can lose weight by just doing more and eating less. If people don't, then they have to take the consequences of getting fatter. I've lost some weight slowly over recent years, and am now trying to get rid of the last bastions of bulge - my tummy....:)

If people need surgery to save their lives, then so be it - but they need to agree to change their lifestyles as well. There's no point in the NHS stapling stomachs, sucking out lard and de-coking arteries if the people involved are going to sit back down on their fat arses and start all over again.

Losing weight is hard - I'm not as slim as I'd like to be but it's MY diet, MY actions (or lack of excercise) and MY attitude to my own health that controls that. I have no underlying metabolic illnesses - just a penchant for eating too much and excercising too little....:)

The bottom line is to take personal responsibility for your 'lifestyle' health and well being. By this I mean smoking, drinking, diet and excercise. If YOU can't be bothered to keep these under control, why should anyone else care?

Now where's that butter smothered piece of soda-bread.....

Joe