Why do people bash weight loss surgery?

[melyssafaye 181]

What kills me is the diet industry is forever bombarding us with ads for pills and devices that promise to shed the pounds with no dieting or exercise. They don't work, but for some reason that "easy way" is more acceptable than the presumed "easy way" of wls. ( which, of course, isn't easy at all).

I think it goes back to the belief that obesity is a moral failing rather than a medical problem. Even addiction is more commonly understood as a medical issue.

For some, the idea that people could overcome their moral weakness through surgery rather than willpower seems shameful. But, there is just too much wrong with that thinking to even begin to challenge it.

People who are obese have negative reactions when their friends have wls because understanding it means accepting that being fat isn't a result of their own weakness or defect. Letting go of that self hatred long enough to consider medical help can be really, really hard.

[JamieLogical 8,727]

What kills me is the diet industry is forever bombarding us with ads for pills and devices that promise to shed the pounds with no dieting or exercise. They don't work, but for some reason that "easy way" is more acceptable than the presumed "easy way" of wls. ( which, of course, isn't easy at all).

I think it goes back to the belief that obesity is a moral failing rather than a medical problem. Even addiction is more commonly understood as a medical issue.

For some, the idea that people could overcome their moral weakness through surgery rather than willpower seems shameful. But, there is just too much wrong with that thinking to even begin to challenge it.

People who are obese have negative reactions when their friends have wls because understanding it means accepting that being fat isn't a result of their own weakness or defect. Letting go of that self hatred long enough to consider medical help can be really, really hard.

Oh but diet pills and fads are for those "disciplined" people who just can't seem to lose those 10-20 pounds. WLS is for the weak-willed, lazy, morbidly obese! That's the difference!

[LaffeyTaffey 27]

I agree! I work at a retirement home and we get nursing instructors and students in sometimes. Well I heard the instructor telling one of her students she'd never recommend wls. I didn't hear her reasons why so I didn't speak up :/ I wanted to though!

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[melyssafaye 181]

I agree! I work at a retirement home and we get nursing instructors and students in sometimes. Well I heard the instructor telling one of her students she'd never recommend wls. I didn't hear her reasons why so I didn't speak up :/ I wanted to though!

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It's a huge injustice. My 70-something uncle, who lost his eye in Vietnam, recently lost his leg to diabetes. This is a medical problem and no one told him that wls could have helped him a few years ago.

People are dying from obesity every day. When will we stop blaming and shaming them and look for medical Intervention.

I agree! I work at a retirement home and we get nursing instructors and students in sometimes. Well I heard the instructor telling one of her students she'd never recommend wls. I didn't hear her reasons why so I didn't speak up :/ I wanted to though!

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It's a huge injustice. My 70-something uncle, who lost his eye in Vietnam, recently lost his leg to diabetes. This is a medical problem and no one told him that wls could have helped him a few years ago.

People are dying from obesity every day. When will we stop blaming and shaming them and look for medical Intervention.

[LaffeyTaffey 27]

I agree! I work at a retirement home and we get nursing instructors and students in sometimes. Well I heard the instructor telling one of her students she'd never recommend wls. I didn't hear her reasons why so I didn't speak up :/ I wanted to though!

Sent from my A846L using the BariatricPal App

It's a huge injustice. My 70-something uncle, who lost his eye in Vietnam, recently lost his leg to diabetes. This is a medical problem and no one told him that wls could have helped him a few years ago.

People are dying from obesity every day. When will we stop blaming and shaming them and look for medical Intervention.

I agree! I work at a retirement home and we get nursing instructors and students in sometimes. Well I heard the instructor telling one of her students she'd never recommend wls. I didn't hear her reasons why so I didn't speak up :/ I wanted to though!

Sent from my A846L using the BariatricPal App

It's a huge injustice. My 70-something uncle, who lost his eye in Vietnam, recently lost his leg to diabetes. This is a medical problem and no one told him that wls could have helped him a few years ago.

People are dying from obesity every day. When will we stop blaming and shaming them and look for medical Intervention.

I'm so sorry to hear about your uncle! This country is becoming more and more obese it's horrible.

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[her1981 448]

@@toastedink I catch the most flack from people with weight problems in weight loss support groups! It's THE MOST frustrating and baffling thing!

OK, @@her1981 ... I gotta hear about this.

Are these weight loss support groups online or in-real-life ,and are they limited to WLS patients or "everybody who's trying to lose weight"?

It's groups online with everyone trying to lose weight; however, I have gotten negative feedback from people I know in real life "My aunt died when she got a gastric bypass"- 16 years ago! It may not have been laproscopic, she may have already been in poor health, maybe she didn't go to a bariatric center of excellence etc.... Just the suggestion that she consider a sleeve.... meanwhile she has been doing weight watchers for the last 10 years suffering from hbp, Type 2 diabetes, and had a stroke at 35. SMH!

[Read2016 658]

I get that one about people dying from weight loss surgery, odd how the whole world seems to know someone who died from it.

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[JamieLogical 8,727]

I get that one about people dying from weight loss surgery, odd how the whole world seems to know someone who died from it.

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Especially considering the mortality rate is lower than knee replacement. You don't hear how everyone and their mother died from knee replacement....

[PayItForward 207]

I've told everyone from the start and I have not encountered any negative feedback. I guess that I have been lucky. If my mother was alive, she would have went crazy. All my life, she begged me to never have weight-loss surgery. The daughter of her good friend had it many years ago. She was allergic to the staples and almost died.

Anyway, this has been the easiest and most successful way to lose weight for me. I will tell anyone that asks how I did it.

[her1981 448]

I get that one about people dying from weight loss surgery, odd how the whole world seems to know someone who died from it.

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Right, but what about the millions of people who survived and are doing well! I bet the reason is because many of us keep it secret due to people's ignorance, so they probably know plenty of people who've had it, but don't know they've had it.

[IncredibleShrinkingMan 437]

Very simple...either they are naturally skinny and think it's a big life achievement of theirs...or they were obese and managed to lose weight and keep it off. It's rare, but the latter does happen for one reason or another, and they think it is a testament to their character and superior will-power. That is like telling a short person to get taller by trying harder, or telling a dyslexic person that if she cared more she would learn to read and write more quickly. Sickening!

[Read2016 658]

I turn these comments into a joke with responses like what would you like me to leave you in my will? Or well I guess my weight struggle will be over quicker than I had planned.... I don't pass judgement on what others do as everyone has to do what's best for them

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[her1981 448]

I turn these comments into a joke with responses like what would you like me to leave you in my will? Or well I guess my weight struggle will be over quicker than I had planned.... I don't pass judgement on what others do as everyone has to do what's best for them

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Ha! I'm going to use these!

[Read2016 658]

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[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

I think a lot of has to do with education and socioeconomic levels. The people I know that are upper middle class and have degrees beyond Bachelors are accepting of surgery and have no issues with it. This is also a group of people more accepting of cosmetic procedures (breasts, nose jobs are common).

Counterpoint observation here ...

I have good friends, family members, and acquaintances at all walks of life.

And, interestingly, I've observed that my very well educated colleagues, friends and acquaintances are not all that supportive of WLS.

Yes, they tend to be fitter, healthier and slimmer -- but very few of them have ever suffered from obesity themselves. Consequently, they are ignorant about the disease of obesity and confused by and/or scornful of those who are obese.

My experience might be skewed just by the fact I am a STEM major and almost all my friends are STEM majors or are married to STEM majors ( a lot of my friends are married to doctors or are doctors). We are science junkies. We read journals for kicks. I don't have many fat friends and all my friends that know about my surgery and have been supportive are all slim and have always been slim. We are of a generation that there is less stigma to surgery than in the past.

And yes I am totally stereotyping, but it is also based on my personal experience and we stereotype on here all the time. There are several people that post here frequently that think all fat people are miserable just because they were.