I keep reading posts where people are saying their doctors, friends, spouse, trainers, parents,,etc are saying that weightloss surgery is "cheating". I don't understand it. Cheating life? Is that what they mean? Do they think we should bust our asses to the point of no return,,even if we are sick and diseased and can't function like they can? So if a man uses viagra,,does the pharmacist or his wife tell him he's cheating? If anyone uses a battery powered tooth brush verses the manual ones,,is that cheating? I'm sorry, I have to vent..it just pisses me off..pardon my french! My sister has such mixed feelings about getting wls..even though she is diabetic, has blockages in her carotid arteries,,has barretts esophogus, sleep apnea, pitted edema,,,etc..etc....all because she thinks people will think she cheated or took the easy way out. Easy way out? Why in this world does it matter how a person loses weight?? I think I'm at higher risk of disease because I'm on a constant yo yo if I continue trying to lose weight the way I have my whole life. Some people just aren't mentally or physically capable of losing weight the traditional way..I'm one of them. My sister has health issues and so do I. I'm not wanting the weight off to impress anyone, surprise anyone,,look like a super model or anything else. I just want to live again, why can't people shut up and just say...do what you have to do to get the weight off? Life long skinny people need to keep their mouths shut because they will never know what this is like,,never. And fat people who want to talk smack about the surgery are just jealous because they didn't have the idea first. So then all they can do is cut it down or tell you it's cheating because they don't want you to be thin because then they will be the "fatter one". It's like the perfect excuse for people to talk you out of having the surgery,,never mind I'll end up dying young because I'm ill and getting the fat off will help me live.

Beautifully said! There is nothing "easy" about the lap band, no matter what the skinny minis think. Not only is it major abdominal surgery that leaves permanent scars, you have to completely change your eating habits or risk getting stuck or throwing up. Plus it's not a magic wand, it's a tool. Anyone who accuses you of taking the easy way out should stuff it! If losing the weight lowers your health risks and makes you feel better, what do they care how you did it?

Cheating? The lap-band is simply one treatment choice for the epidemic called obesity.

If the FDA- yes our government-didn't continually approve foods and drugs that contain chemicals that create food ADDICTION, our society would be forced to eat like our grandparents did. You know, meat and vegetables, gardens in the back yard.......organic foods that didn't degrade our bodies and cause disease.

Like she said, we have to do our part too and it does also make me mad what others say. Even recently a friend commented on her fathers bypass surgery "anyone can have surgery".....that right there gave away how she feels about it...that it's cheating! Ughhh....I guess I'd rather be called a cheater than be fat until I die!

I agree with you and I totally pee'd myself with the viagra comment......."honey, look at ME"....gotta love those little blue pills...cheater!