Since, as I talked about yesterday, most of my life has been involved in trying to lose weight in one way or another. I have tried pretty much everything. Never tried a meal delivery plan or bought in to weight watchers, but that’s because of economic realities. I’m pretty smart and have been able to do research, learn about nutrition, biology, etc and interpret studies with a skeptical eye. This practice has come in handy as I have leaned more towards health and away from weight loss. Examining actual facts and figures on the results of weight loss surgery is what sent me away from considering it for myself.
This article from the NY Times starts off well, debunking the “WLS cures diabetes” thing. It turns out the results are not as good as previously reported. Longer term studies (10 years as opposed to 2) show a high rate of remission after five years, leaving the victims of the surgery with ravaged digestive systems and returned diabetes on top of it. All the horrible side effects of WLS, nutritional issues, digestive issues, inability to eat, hair loss, skin problems, psychological problems, acid problems, dumping syndrome, ulcers, hernias, and on and on, with a reduced ability to heal due to the return of the reason you had the damn surgery in the first place. And then guess what? Most of the weight you lost comes back.
This makes me sick.
That’s not good enough for this sorry assed excuse for a fat-hating world we live in. The article goes on to recommend EARLIER surgical intervention for type 2 diabetics because they have slightly better rates of remission. Over a ten year study. What about 15 years? 20 years? What about thin diabetics? What about slightly fat diabetics who don’t meet the guidelines for WLS? Where does it end?
But fat people have to keep on trying. We are expected to go to any lengths necessary to make our fat bodies not fat any more. Never mind that 95% of people who lose weight go on to regain every single pound and then some. We should keep trying! Never mind that there is a far larger rate of complications from WLS than has been made generally known, maybe we’ll be one of the lucky ones who ends up healthy afterwards. Never mind that to successfully lose a large amount of weight and keep most of it off is a full time job in and of itself. Never mind that eating disorders are at an all time high in CHILDREN because of the neverending FAT IS BAD drumbeat.
It just never ends. The hate never ends. The disdain never ends. The pressure never ends. No matter how sick we make ourselves, we just have to keep trying.
Here’s another interesting thing. The so-called OBESITY EPIDEMIC. It’s not. It hasn’t been for a long time. What small weight gains across the population there are can easily be accounted for by increases in height, smoking cessation, and increased antidepressant use.
It’s enough to make me want to bang my head on the wall forever and ever, thus ridding the world of another disgusting fatass. Sheesh.
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