I've noticed lately that Oprah's weight seems to be climbing. She's not been a big proponent of WLS but maybe she should consider it? She's been struggling with weight for almost all of her entire TV career and it seems no matter how much she loses or what method she utilizes, her weight seems to creep back up again.

Those who are morbidly obese are NOT healthy, period. Those who are near morbid obesity are NOT healthy. I convinced myself for a long time that I could be happy with my size because I was healthy, no major problems, etc. But the truth is, I did a lot of damage to my body.

I am 30 years old, I have two small children, and my father died at age 39 from a massive heart attack. Within the last year or two before my surgery, I developed severe sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and various other weight related problems. I had routine surgery a year ago this month and almost died thanks to my weight. I did NOT do this to look better or to fit into some societal notion of thin. I did this to extend my life and to be here for my children. For the vast majority of WLS patients, their health is first and foremost.

I know that your opinions are shaped by your experience, Nanook. I'm sorry your band didn't work out. I think comparing banding or any other WLS to yo-yo dieting is ridiculous at best. I also think that if you ask those who have regained, most will admit it was their own fault, not the fault of the band. It is only a tool. I have found my answer to yo-yo dieting and the weight will not come back for me.

Jaime,

That's why I believe it's a very individual situation and your heredity/genetics and life style/choices have to be taken into consideration but what works for you is not what works for everyone. Just as what works for me is not what works for everyone.

For every theory out there there's another theory out there to counter it even with the "obesity crisis". This is why someone like Oprah cannot or should not go out and spout that everyone who is labeled "obese" should have WLS. It would not be responsible on her part. What if something were to go wrong and she were sued. It just doesn't work that way. No person in the public eye would be stupid enough to support such a thing.

We're allowed to have different points of view on the subject and they are based on many factors. Partly knowledge and experience. Both are different but can still be valid and both have the right to express our opinions, Nancy.:biggrin:

Who said that Oprah should tell people to have WLS? I said she shouldn't bash WLS. It isn't for her, it isn't for a lot of people, that's fine. Oprah's attitude is that weight lost "the hard way" is the only weight loss that counts.

This is a Lap Band/WLS board after all. You will find that most people here are going to support WLS.

I don't think anyone is saying that Oprah needs to endorse WLS. But it would be nice if she could open her mind just a little and not be so deadset against it. I think it's great when someone can lose the weight on their own, but not everyone can.

I've seen some of her weight loss shows and there is a HUGE difference in her mood when WLS is involved. It's quite obvious. She obviously isn't able to do it on her own either. And you can tell she's not happy about her weight. Even if she doesn't want to have WLS because of her "fear of surgery and needles", why not be happy and supportive of those who do succeed with WLS?

I'm just throwing this out there, but I wonder if she's a bit jealous of those who have had WLS? Maybe she secretly wants to, but feels she can't because that would be admitting she was wrong...

Edited October 22, 200817 yr by georgia girl

most people are having it done for esthetic reasons and I was one of them so don't play that it's only to be healthier card that's a load of bs in my HO.

Whereas I think telling people they are lying when they say they did it to be healthier is a load of bs.

Oprah's attitude is that weight lost "the hard way" is the only weight loss that counts.

And that's just stupid. My blood pressure doesn't care how I lost weight. It didn't to refuse to go down because I didn't do it "the hard way". It just went down.

In every other aspect of our life, something being easier and more effective makes it BETTER. Being harder and less effective makes it WORSE. But in weight loss our society has twisted everything around until it's bass-ackward and tries to convince people that harder and less effective is somehow better. It's just DUMB!

I think it's great when someone can lose the weight on their own, but not everyone can.

In fact, hardly anyone can. Quick... name 5 people who lost more than 100 lb. and kept it off for at least 10 years. :grouphug:

Who said that Oprah should tell people to have WLS? I said she shouldn't bash WLS. It isn't for her, it isn't for a lot of people, that's fine. Oprah's attitude is that weight lost "the hard way" is the only weight loss that counts.

Exactly. For some one who is in the public eye and influences people everyday (both positively and negatively IMO), she should perhaps be a little more open minded to options of solving a problem she has personally battled with for decades - if not for her, but for the fact that it works for SOME people. A lot of people are VERY impressionable and its sad that they cut themselves off to possible solutions because of one influential public figure's opinion.

Like that crazy woman that's doing EVERYTHING Oprah says for a year.

Sheesh.

I don't think anyone is saying that Oprah needs to endorse WLS. But it would be nice if she could open her mind just a little and not be so deadset against it. I think it's great when someone can lose the weight on their own, but not everyone can.

I've seen some of her weight loss shows and there is a HUGE difference in her mood when WLS is involved. It's quite obvious. She obviously isn't able to do it on her own either. And you can tell she's not happy about her weight. Even if she doesn't want to have WLS because of her "fear of surgery and needles", why not be happy and supportive of those who do succeed with WLS?

I'm just throwing this out there, but I wonder if she's a bit jealous of those who have had WLS? Maybe she secretly wants to, but feels she can't because that would be admitting she was wrong...

I completely agree. She acts as if only bad things will happen with weight loss surgery. She completely ignores the good parts. I don't want to feel like I am being chastised when I watch her, and that is exactly how I feel.

This is why someone like Oprah cannot or should not go out and spout that everyone who is labeled "obese" should have WLS. It would not be responsible on her part. What if something were to go wrong and she were sued. It just doesn't work that way. No person in the public eye would be stupid enough to support such a thing.

Now wait, nobody is suggesting that she should endorse WLS, you are right that would not be wise on her part. But she is doing the exact opposite, she is telling everyone the horrors of WLS. She is indeed suggesting people should not get WLS. How is that better than endorsing it? There are mindless idiots that do anything she tells them.

I hope someone sues her for suggesting they not get WLS.

Hi y'all,

I have my own lap band experience and am also familiar with my daughter's who is only 20 and had the RNY and so far so good, knock on wood!!

I just feel that in some ways we are made to feel bad about ourselves to such a degree that 10 pounds overweight we should feel disgusted about ourselves. I'm not discounting that some people need to lose weight in order to "live" a full life but that doesn't mean all fat people are not. I do believe we've been trained to believe that if we are "overweight" we are not worthy in a variety of ways in our society. Everyone has a right to disagree with that but still I think you understand my point even if you don't agree with it.

I would suggest if it means so much to you that Oprah is offensive in her treatment of WLS that you do a writing campaign to her and see if she responds. I suppose it's kind of silly to argue about it here when Oprah obviously isn't going to know about it. Take care all, I'm not the enemy but just have a different POV now after doing a lot of reading on the subject after my failure at the lap band. Best wishes and health, Nancy:smile:

Hi y'all,

I have my own lap band experience and am also familiar with my daughter's who is only 20 and had the RNY and so far so good, knock on wood!!

I just feel that in some ways we are made to feel bad about ourselves to such a degree that 10 pounds overweight we should feel disgusted about ourselves. I'm not discounting that some people need to lose weight in order to "live" a full life but that doesn't mean all fat people are not. I do believe we've been trained to believe that if we are "overweight" we are not worthy in a variety of ways in our society. Everyone has a right to disagree with that but still I think you understand my point even if you don't agree with it.

I would suggest if it means so much to you that Oprah is offensive in her treatment of WLS that you do a writing campaign to her and see if she responds. I suppose it's kind of silly to argue about it here when Oprah obviously isn't going to know about it. Take care all, I'm not the enemy but just have a different POV now after doing a lot of reading on the subject after my failure at the lap band. Best wishes and health, Nancy:smile:

Nancy...

I think you are changing the focus here. We aren't talking about 10# of excess weight here, we are referring to morbidly obese people. There is a huge difference and I think society does have a valid issue with this. Take Australia for example, I posted an article here in R&R a long time ago regarding their national health care system, they are on the verge of bankruptcy and that is due to the issue of obesity. We have the same issues here, obesity costs us ALL a LOT of money. Increased premiums in insurance, higher taxes for welfare people, more welfare people, it's ridiculous. The costs are staggering.

I honestly wouldn't care if they tax the hell out of fast food joints, sugar, flour, and crap food just like they do cigarettes. I see NO difference between taxing smokers vs. taxing people that eat themselves to death while many are doing it on the taxpayer's dime.

It is not as easy as telling a 300# 15 y/o girl that she's fine just the way she is because she's a good person. She may be a good person but she's not fine, she's 300# and growing daily. It's okay to tell someone they are a good person but that has nothing in the world to do with the cost to society for their obesity issues.

It is not as easy as telling a 300# 15 y/o girl that she's fine just the way she is because she's a good person. She may be a good person but she's not fine, she's 300# and growing daily. It's okay to tell someone they are a good person but that has nothing in the world to do with the cost to society for their obesity issues.

This I whole-heartedly agree with.

Society says that MO are lazy and out-of-control and all they need is a little willpower and to push themselves away from the table. But 15 year olds don't get to be 300# and climbing because they go to McDonald's too much and don't get on the treadmill at the gym. There is something very wrong with a person's body to get to that state. That is why obesity is a disease, not a character flaw.

At this point in time, the only effective treatment we have for obesity is WLS. Does it work 100%? No. But neither does any medical treatment. To tell people that getting a medical treatment is somehow a poor reflection on their character is really repugnant to me, yet that's what Oprah does.

That is why obesity is a disease, not a character flaw.

I want to put this on a billion bumper stickers and get the word out there. Maybe if we put it out there enough this truth might start to sink in. Mac, this is sheer brilliance.

I do agree that obesity can be a disease and much more needs to be learned about it but there are groups of fat people today that consider themselves fine as they are and do not want to feel like they should be attacked for being fat or forced to lose weight. This is part of what they call FA or "fat acceptance". It's a growing phenom and some have a motto which is "they are not broken thin people". I do not believe fat is a character flaw and find it difficult to believe Oprah would say that but I do not canonize the woman either by any means. Nancy.:smile:

I do agree that obesity can be a disease and much more needs to be learned about it but there are groups of fat people today that consider themselves fine as they are and do not want to feel like they should be attacked for being fat or forced to lose weight. This is part of what they call FA or "fat acceptance". It's a growing phenom and some have a motto which is "they are not broken thin people". I do not believe fat is a character flaw and find it difficult to believe Oprah would say that but I do not canonize the woman either by any means. Nancy.:smile:

I know I will catch a lot of flak for saying this but I think the movement you describe as Fat Acceptance is mostly comprised of people who've given up. If they could get rid of the fat, I bet they would. I don't think being fat is a character flaw. Living in denial, however, is another story.