Is weight loss surgery bad for your health?

By Bob Toovey | 8 March 2010

Weight loss surgery for many is the last resort, when everything else has failed. Others see it as an easy way to shed the pounds and to keep them off. What ever the reason behind the decision to go under the knife for what is really a very risky operation, only one side of the consequences are ever really discussed. That is the positive side.

The most common form of WLS is the lap band. According to Wikipedia the first patent for a lap band device was 1979...

An American company, INAMED Health, later designed the BioEnterics LAP-BAND Adjustable Gastric Banding System (based on the design by Kuzmak in 1986), which was introduced in Europe in 1993. Neither of these bands was initially designed for use with laparoscopic surgery. The LAP-BAND System received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in June 2001. In 2000, a lower pressure, wider, one-piece adjustable gastric band called the MIDband was introduced by Medical Innovation Development of Lyon France.[7] In 2002, a lower pressure, wider, one-piece adjustable gastric band called the Bioring designed specifically for laparoscopic insertion was introduced in France by Cousin-Biotech,[8] and swiftly become one of the leading bands in that country.

The first advances in gastric bypass was started in 1954, after all this time, why are people still dying from the results of the surgery?

Take a read of an old post by Sandy Szwarc, Why we never hear, why people don't talk and why people don't want to know...

It discusses the rarely mentioned down sides to WLS. In fact, from reading the article, there is not much of an upside. I am not saying that it does not work, just works for a very few.

WLS is always seen as a success, despite long term problems as discussed in Sandy's article. You initially loose weight. Everyone says how great you look, how the weight loss suits you and of course you feel wonderful. So if you start to suffer from after effects such as vitamin deficiency, malutrition etc that is just a small price to pay for looking great. Even if you feel very ill...

Fat people have been told their entire lives that their natural weights are their own fault. When weight loss diets and programs fail, they are led to believe that is their fault, too. After these surgeries they are complimented on their weight loss and very few patients dare admit publicly that they are experiencing horrible side effects and that the quality of their lives is far worse. And it's natural for anyone to not want to admit that they made a mistake and were victims of a scam. So few do. Denial is intense, even when patients are dying. Denial distorts reality and even perceptions of their own experiences.

WLS has been around for some time but little has been done about the long term effects. In fact, they seem to been of ignored. If there was a pill that made you loose weight but carried the long term effects that WLS causes, would that pill still be on the market?

Fen Phen the diet drug was withdrawn from the market in 1997 because of damage it caused to heart valves and many suffered heart attacks. There were 123 deaths attributed to the drug. How many have died due to weight loss surgery?

Precious does well at the Oscars

By Bob Toovey | 8 March 2010

The film Precious has done well at the Oscars. It has won two awards, 'best actress in a supporting role' going to Mo'Nique and 'Writing (Adapted Screenplay)'.

It also did well at the Spirit awards with 5 of the 13 awards with Gabourey Sidibe winning best actress.

 

Radio 1 Extra documentary for teens on teens covers weight issues

By Bob Toovey | 3 March 2010

Emma recently dropped me a line to let me know she recently took part in a BBC Radio 1Xtra documentary, 'So what if I'm fat' . As usual, the BBC has kept it fairly unbiased (one or two lapses though) but good for teens to listen to.

However, I just wish they and many others would stop using the BMI scale as an indication of health.

Emma kept it positive for the plus size and came over well. Well done you!

If you are in the UK then you should have no problems listening to it.

Quick question for those who have listened to this documentary, what are you thoughts? Are you worried by your weight? Lets have some real responses from teens...

 

Romania looking to tax fast food

By Bob Toovey | 23 February 2010

We get quite used to hearing obesity stories from the UK and the US that we do forget to consider other countries. The Associated Press is reporting that Romania is moving to tax fast food to combat their own problems. There is no statement so far on how high the tax would be but the authorities have said that they expect to generate up to 1 billion Euros in revenues.

"We have to relearn how to eat," Health Ministry official Adrian Streinu Cercel said.
The ministry says that - in marked contrast to the situation under communism - half of Romania's 22 million people are overweight, while instances of obesity have doubled among 10-year-olds.
Officials have refused to say how high the taxes would be. But Cercel says authorities expect to generate up to euro1 billion ($1.37 billion) in new revenues - compared with an estimated euro16 billion in total revenues for 2010.
If the plan goes through, Romania will be aligning itself with - and even outdoing - other countries looking to crack down on fatty foods and encourage better eating choices.

Jamie Oliver at 2010 TED conference, Teach every child about food

By Harold Wood | 18 February 2010

Take a look at this video of Jamie Oliver at the 2010 TED conference. In my own humble opinion, it does not matter what you think the causes of obesity is, kids know less and less about the food we eat. We eat more and more processed food, we care very little about what the food manufactures actually put in to what we eat.

Jamie covers this and more. I found it interesting enough to question my own attitudes towards the food that I buy and what I cook.

Kevin 'Silent Bob' Smith kicked off Southwest Airlines flight

By Bob Toovey | 15 February 2010

Kevin Smith, screenwriter, film producer, and director, as well as a comic bookwriter, author, comedian, and actor - was recently kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight because he was too fat. If you have not heard of Kevin Smith before, you would know about some of his films such as, 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back' and 'Zack and Miri Make a Porno'.

From popeater.com, Kevin Smith Kicked Off Southwest Flight for Being Too Fat...

The director was thrown off a flight from Oakland to Burbank, after being deemed too fat to fly. He would later end up on another Southwest flight and now he's expressing his anger on Twitter.

"Dear @SouthwestAir - I know I'm fat, but was Captain Leysath really justified in throwing me off a flight for which I was already seated?" he began.

"Dear @SouthwestAir, I flew out in one seat, but right after issuing me a standby ticket, Oakland Southwest attendant Suzanne (wouldn't give last name) told me Captain Leysath deemed me a "safety risk". Again: I'm way fat... But I'm not THERE just yet. But if I am, why wait til my bag is up, and I'm seated WITH ARM RESTS DOWN. In front of a packed plane with a bunch of folks who'd already I.d.ed me as 'Silent Bob,'" Smith continued in a succession of several tweets.

How can he be deemed to 'fat' if the arm rests were down and could buckle his belt? And how come he was able to take another flight for the same airline? What is not clear at the moment (hopefully someone can clear this up) is weather it was a judgment made by the captain or policy of Southwest Airlines.

More about Kevin Smith on Wikipedia, follow him on twitter with @thatkevinsmith (features adult language).

Hypnotherapy for weight loss, self confidence and low self esteem

By Harold Wood | 12 February 2010

There are many ways to achive weight loss, obviously not counting fad diets and quick short cuts that do more harm than good. One of the 'alternative' methods is Hypnotherapy.

The Hypnotherapy Directory (UK) provides details of professional practitioners that are qualified and in many cases affiliated with professional bodies. Also includes those who can help with self confidence, self esteem and eating disorders.

 

Press release: NAAFA to the First Lady, please consider all research!

By Bob Toovey | 2 February 2010

NAAFA has responded to the plans outline by the first lady, Michele Obama. She is going to be focusing in on preventing childhood obesity but NAAFA would like her to take a few things in to consideration first...

Oakland, CA - First Lady Michele Obama has recently announced her intention to focus on childhood obesity prevention. NAAFA encourages the First Lady to consider all the research before taking action and supporting any program that may do more harm than good.

Mrs. Obama, please explore and consider the following:

• When important figures such as parents, teachers and peers in children's social environment endorse a preference for thinness and place an importance on weight control, this can contribute to body dissatisfaction, dieting, low self-esteem and weight bias among children and adolescents (Davison & Birch, 2001; Davison & Birch, 2004; Dohnt & Tiggemann, 2006; Smolak, Levine, & Schermer, 1999).
• The stigmatization of large children has increased by 40% over the last 30 years (Latner & Stunkard, 2003).
• Many drugs presently being prescribed to children cause weight gain. There was a 40 fold increase in bi-polar diagnoses in children between 1994 and 2003. 90.6% of youth received a psychotropic medication during bipolar disorder visits. For many, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, and antidepressants were also prescribed. (Arch Gen Psychiatr,. 2007)
• Prescribing dieting is, in effect, prescribing weight cycling, and many people will be fatter in the long run (Mann, 2007).
• Weight-control practices among young people reliably predict greater weight gain, regardless of baseline weight, than that of adolescents who do not engage in such practices (Neumark-Sztainer et al., 2006).
• Based on results from a population-based, longitudinal study with 2,500 teens, Neumark-Sztainer and colleagues at the University of Minnesota (2006) concluded that to prevent obesity and eating disorders, the focus needs to be on health much more than weight. The more weight per se is talked about, the more likely teens are to adopt dangerous dieting behaviors.
• A 2006 study from UCLA suggests our media and cultural obsession with achieving a certain weight does little or no good and may actually undermine motivation to adopt exercise and other healthy lifestyle habits.
• The National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated in 2008 that childhood obesity has leveled off.
• NAAFA urges the First Lady to:
• Partner with us and our many resources in the scientific and healthcare communities to examine this issue. Fat children are already the targets of merciless bullying. NAAFA urges Mrs. Obama not to support any programs that would create a pervasive bias against fat children.
• Consider Guidelines for Childhood Obesity Prevention Programs found at: http://www.aedweb.org/media/Guidelines.cfm Childhood School Plans at http://www.healthyweight.net/schools.htm and Guidelines for Children at http://www.healthyweight.net/children.htm
• Support the Health at Every Size (HAES) tenets which state that healthy habits are good for EVERYONE, no matter what their size. Eat healthy, nutritious foods and enjoy occasional treats. Pay attention to your natural hunger and satiety cues. Move your body in ways that feel good rather than exercise focused solely on weight loss.
• "Obesity has a strong genetic component that is expressed in environments that foster sedentary activity and eating an energy dense diet", stated Joanne Ikeda, Nutritionist Emeritus, University of California Berkeley, "Therefore, we encourage First Lady Michelle Obama to promote environmental changes in school settings that support enjoyable physical activity and consumption of a wide variety of nutritious, appetizing foods."
• This issue is about the critical need to create environments in which children and adolescents do not feel shame or guilt about their bodies but, rather, are motivated to enjoy healthful eating and active living habits regardless of their body size or shape.

Founded in 1969, NAAFA is a non-profit human rights organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for fat people. NAAFA works to eliminate discrimination based on body size and provide fat people with the tools for self-empowerment through public education, advocacy, and member support.

On the web:

http://www.naafa.org

For more information contact:

Peggy Howell, Public Relations Director, NAAFA

email: naafa_pr@yahoo.com phone: (707)246-6116

Petition to get better reprentation of women

By Bob Toovey | 25 January 2010

The website 100% people is currently running a campaign to get more realistic representation of women in magazines.

Real Bodies Unite is appealing to all those women fed up of being bombarded with images of super-skinny models, by launching a global campaign to raise 10,000 signatures for the use of realistic body representation in fashion.

The petition will be shown to fashion houses to prove that women want to see real women and a better representation.

The return of the CoverGirl

By Bob Toovey | 25 January 2010

Welcome to Monday and what better way to start the week than the return of the SizeNet CoverGirl! Yes we did lapse for a while but then there was Christmas and everything else.

We have picked Annie Love which was posted by Total Betty Pinups. Have a good week folks!

Is Karl Largerfeld changing his mind?

By Bob Toovey | 20 January 2010

October last year I mentioned how Bridget Magazine in Germany had stirred things up a bit and how Karl Largerfeld had spoken out about skinny models being just fine. PlusSizeMe.com reports that his view may of changed or more likely attempted to redeem himself in front of the media .

Just a few months ago, Chanel designer Karl Lagerfield was criticising plus-size models, saying no one wanted to see 'round' women on the catwalk.
It seems he might be eating his words though, if his recent photoshoot for V is anything to go by.
Plus size Burlesque dancer Miss Dirty Martini was the star of a photoshoot shot by Karl, for V's latest plus-size issue

Did he mean it? Check out more, Karl Lagerfield eats his words

Back to top | Older entries>>