I'd just like to distinguish something, without dissing anyone's right to quote facts, numbers, statistics and whilst agreeing that yes, people considering the band need to consider these things.

But hard facts are not the same thing as statistics, which are afterall skewed by extremes. I dont believe there are any hard facts about the band at all, there are only statistical averages to consider.

Ok, so its likely that a lot of people will lose between 50 and 70% of their excess weight with the band. Its likely that some people will not lose at all and its likely that some people will have other problems - its also likely that many people will lose all the weight they desire with no problems whatsoever.

Statistics! Not hard facts.

They could change.

And there is no telling on the variables. Who knows how many of the reoperations were because early bands were placed prior to the pars flaccida technique, or who has lost so much weight that she's getting an older, higher-profile port changed to a lower profile port? I know that one of those people had a really bad surgeon (who doesn't do the band anymore) and he nicked her diaphragm and she's had NOTHING but trouble. One of the people in the middle group mentioned that she has mild erosion, so she knows she's doing SOMETHING...she just doesn't know what.

And I'm pretty sure that a couple of those "I'll have my band forever" people are old-timers. They are doing very well, at a normal BMI and happy...and while they say that they MAY, at some later date need SOMETHING changed out (because very little lasts forever) they do NOT want to contemplate life without the band.

I know it has been said before, but not yet on this thread. Any online poll in a support forum would naturally be non-representative of the bandster community on the whole. Forum bandsters like those on LBT and Obesity Help generally have a reason for logging on. They are usually:

1) newer and seeking guidance

2) more experienced but losing momentum

3) experiencing difficulty and seeking help

4) volunteers looking to give that momentum, guidance, and/or help

The bandsters who are doing well and living a healthy active life are generally less likely to visit an online forum on a daily basis. You see these wonderful people logging in and saying. "Sorry it has been so long, I really missed you guys! I had a PB yesterday and thought of you..."

Touching.

I think that most of us have come to the conclusion that the band can help us when nothing else was helping. To what degree the band will assist is mostly unknown at the time of banding and insurance companies' attempts to skew data by weeding out 'undesirables' through procrastination and hoop-jumping has yet to show in US statistics because US bands still have that "new car smell".

WOW, see, this is why I try to stop posting at midnight. *backing away from the soapbox*

Another thing to add to Jaqui and Lisa's dialogue about what's available in different countries; I read an article a couple of days ago on MSNBC (In the diet and fitness section, just not going to grab the link right now), that the foods in fast food restaurants of THE SAME BRAND in outher countries is healthier!! They did a comparison in trans fat in one vs the other, it was pretty crazy to me.

We had a co worker from Austria visit, and he said he couldn't believe the difference in quality from one McDonalds to the other (Austria vs US).

Just thought that was interesting, so I shared.

Yep - McDonalds doesnt supersize in Australia and we dont have half the products that appeared on Supersize me either. There's quite a lot of salads and the like available, fresh fruit, fruit smoothies etc.

Oh and those litre buckets of softdrink , good lord, that's just amazing. We dont have anything like that here!

Yeah, thank god. I think there should be a law here in America, like in (demolition man) where fast food or anything unhealthy for you is illegal. That movie was from the future and they banned all the bad foods, cigarettes, sex (exchange of bodily fluids, as to prevent STD's), needing a license to reproduce, lol, etc. You couldn't even curse or you got fined.

Something that hsould be pointed out here is one very LARGE variable in all of these board statistics. While eye opening and important for us to see, the people that visit support boards makeup approx 5 percent of the WLS community. (this is a figure I read somewhere. Astonishing enough for me to remember, except for I can't remember the place I read it) Most of the people who make up that 5% are people who are having some sort of complication and need a support board for questions to be answered. So it is realistic that you are going to find MORE complications and erosions and removals and slippage on support boards, and among the friends you make on the boards.

That's exactly right.

Exactly Funny! I agree 100% and that's a good thing. I'd hate to think that 4 out of every 10 (just a statement, not an actual statistic) people I meet on here were unbanded by complications.

YA wanna know the real hard fact?....This site makes me want to give up. Thats right...GIVE UP. Dont you people realize that this affects peoples lives? Im about to be banded on friday...and instead of reading posts about support and information...all I see anymore is fights and BS. Get it together...this isnt fair to anyone.

WHOA! The only reason I posted in this thread is because it was not doing what the other threads are doing. I am pleading for this to not be brought up again!! This thread is only about statistics and facts and how they are taken and reported.

Good luck on Friday great dame!! I can't wait to get mine.

Where did that come from Great Dane? Aren't we talking about statistics?

good luck great dane.

hang in there.

rest up for surgery on friday...

Yeah, Good Luck Greatdame. This thread is about how you interpret statistics and meant to highlight that there are no real hard facts that apply to everyone. It hedges round a sensitive topic at the moment but wasnt intended to prolong an argument.