Personally I don't, I was reading a magazine the other day and there was a thing about a woman how she'd struggled all her life with her weight and she was shopping one day when the woman next to her asked what the diet bar she had in her hand tasted like and also went on to say " I havent been able to eat anything like that since my weight loss surgery" Needless to say this woman looked it up and quoted from her own words "was booked into surgery a month later"

I absolutely hate these stories, I don't think that any one no matter what should gain money from there weight loss surgery in the form of a story like that it just makes it come across as if the surgery was something she decided to do because she couldnt of been bothered to get off her bum. I know I sound pretty rude about this and everything but this story really annoyed the crap out of me and then they post it in this magazine and the chick gets $500 just for her story. I don't think it's fair at all.

Also one more thing that annoys me if the fact at all that there are ads for weight loss surgery if anyone knows what I mean. I saw an ad for weightlosssurgery.com.au and its just wrong how they advertise it, they way they do it's like there advertising a new food that any one and everyone can get. So what are your views on this? Do you think its wrong that people are benefitting money from this?

On the other hand if people are informing others to actually help them in a decision such as weight loss surgery I dont think that its AS bad, I think that if they aren't benefiting from the story and have no alterior motive other than helping those that are in serious medical distress then it isnt as bad.

Another thing I couldnt find the exact article but on the website where it says attend an information seminar the woman in the black guess shirt is the one that benfitted from the story

http://www.weightlosssurgery.com.au/

Edited May 26, 200818 yr by Sarah.R
Added something

I am extremely grateful to the radio and TV ads that got me curious enough to investigate this procedure. I don't know anyone who has had the lap-band and hadn't heard of it until the ads. Once I researched it (thinking I was going to find tons of information proving how dangerous and useless it was) I realized I am a perfect candidate for this sugery and starting the process of getting it. Perhaps too capitalist, but I am very glad this time for the pursuit of profit!

It's not a question of "will it work" or not. When people post on here that they are weeping because they can't have a soft drink, or that they want the foreign object out of their body right this second, I doubt if they are ready to have the lap band installed. I think that a longer preparation period and working on food related issues prior to banding would make the journey easier, and possibly more successful.

Just my opinion.

I SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO AGREE WITH YOU.

I am happy to give my story away for free, but if someone wanted to pay me - GREAT!!!

I think one of the things that many of us have to offer is a realistic picture of the band (not the advertisers rosy picture). I also think it is important for people to see all sizes who have been successful with the band - not only people with 50 or 100 pounds to lose.

I see over and over (even on this forum) the thought that the lapband won't work for people who are morbidly or super obese, and they need to have gastric bypass in order to be successful.

I also firmly agree with Hastings that there needs to be more of a pre-op process to prepare people for their weightloss journey. As many people have said before me "your stomach can be banded but no-one has developed a band for your brain". IMHO, the head stuff is much harder to deal with than your stomach stuff. The vast majority of us didn't get obese overnight and to expect the band to take care of years of dysfunctional eating is just not realistic.

In this way - I think it is a-ok to pay people for their stories - the good and the bad!!!!