The embarrassment of being overweight is only overshadowed by the embarrassment of needed bariatric surgery to stop being overweight.

I have to admit something to the members here. I post at many other forums (not weight related) and I always use the same name. But here, I chose a different name. I am heavy into political debates and I would not want anyone blackmailing me by referring to my postings here.

This may sound small of me, but it is being pragmatic. How can I call for a politician to step up and do the right thing when I can't control my hand from putting food in my mouth?

I know we have a sickness, but the majority of people look down on us for being fat. No matter what vices they have, we are weak (in their minds). That is why that very few of my acquaintances know of my surgery.

This is a nice thread. For me, my embarassment is over the weakness that made me fat. Without going into details, I just need to get rid of the fat to get rid of that part of my past. I hold on to the fat and don't get rid of it because I have been weak on facing the issue. It is a tough struggle. I am having the surgery to assist me in losing that part of my past and moving on. Without the surgery I will more likely stumble along the way, making myself feel like I have yet again failed over conquring this incident. There comes a point where for most people it is just too long a row to hoe, too hard a hill to climb.

I wish there was not this stigma of WLS being the "easy way out". Not only is it not an easy way out, but it is a valuable tool for people to gain back the self confidence we all had when we were younger.

Remember the times when you were a kid. No cares in the world except for maybe what you wanted for christmas, what you were going to play that day. Except for maybe school LOL Ah, I wish I were back in those times again. And every little struggle that I succeed in dealing with brings me closer to that bliss again. I see WLS as one way of conquring this struggle.

I just wanted to say that I am not embarrassed to have my WLS... I feel that i am finally going to do something about my problem. I have always had confidence in myself and have never felt ashamed to be who i am. Sure I ate alot when I was younger, but now I have begun to control my food intake. I have always been told I was beautiful so I know that when i have my surgery on July 5th, I am only making myself more confident. It's something I am doing for myself, not for everyone else. I think that if everyone remembers that one thing, we will all be able to get past the whole "ashamed" feeling. It was nobody's fault but our own to get the way we are. We put the food in our mouths, now let's do the right thing...

And I told EVERYONE about my surgery because I believe that if we spread the word about what the surgery is and what it will do, we will get more support and understanding... and possibly lose than darn stigma about WLS. It is NOT the easy way out, but a tool to help us.

Don't cause more STIGMA! Be proud that you are doing something about it!

I, don,t see fat people any more! I look at them as people who are hurting in some way eather Emotional or physically with every days pain's and having to bare all that extra weight!

And I dislike the people who just have to sit and stare at them like they are some kind of side show at the mall.

I wish that I, could do more to help them out.