DLCoggin

Perhaps the best advice I've ever read on portion control. Great post!

Just excellent! Thanks Alex!!

Terrific article!!

Excellent!

Words of wisdom from the Yoda of weight loss surgery!

Jane I think you make two critically important points... Viewing obesity as a disease dramatically improves the self-esteem of those struggling with the affliction. It would be difficult to overstate the importance of this changing perspective. Defeating the disease requires individual ownership of the lifestyle changes that must be made in order to be successful. It is a lifetime commitment. Many, if not most, are intimidated by that prospect. Countless attempts and countless failures make it difficult to get your head around the idea that surgery changes e v e r y t h I n g. Much of the unparalleled success of bariatric surgery is the result of making those lifestyle changes very achievable. It is very challenging for folks who suffer from obesity to understand that past failures have no bearing on future successes following bariatric surgery. It's a new day.

I saw that study and it is indeed a very interesting one. I did not anticipate the results they got. The question becomes how should the results be interpreted. The study indicated that increasing self-esteem and body satisfaction resulted in less favorable food choices among obese subjects - good news/bad news. So the logical conclusion is that some who might have pursued weight loss options when obesity was a "choice", might abandon that goal when obesity is a "disease". What is the likelihood that most folks who suffer from obesity (currently defined as a BMI >30) will ever achieve long term success with diet and exercise or any other currently available means other than bariatric surgery? Many studies have shown that 95% of folks who lose weight with diet and exercise will regain that weight, and in some cases additional weight, within two years. A study financed by Medicare concluded "It's not a question of if weight loss via diet and exercise will be regained, but rather when it will be regained." Does the possibility that classifying obesity as a disease may encourage those suffering from obesity to make poorer dietary choices outweigh the potential benefits such as increased research funding, greater involvement of the medical community in addressing the obesity epidemic and expanded insurance coverage making surgery (and other possible options in the future) available to more candidates? Is obesity a choice or a disease? Either option will have costs, and benefits.

Right on, right on!!

"The 2014 Advanced Framework for a New Diagnosis of Obesity as a Chronic Disease" was very recently presented at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) 23rd Annual Scientific and Clinical Congress in Las Vegas. In a summary article published by Medscape Medical News on March 17th, the author states "The framework is the latest step in an ongoing process to develop new approaches to obesity, based on the American Medical Association's June 2013 designation of it as a chronic disease, which originated with a proposal from the AACE. The need for a new obesity definition was among the major ideas to emerge from a consensus conference on the subject, held in March 2014, which involved participants from healthcare, research, science, government, industry, insurers and advocacy, according to AACE President, Dr. Jeffrey Mechanick." This is a powerful example of what @@Alex Brecher stated in his article - "An important benefit of classifying obesity as a disease is the increased awareness." The AACE in conjunction with proposals from the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association and The Obesity Society is suggesting three classifications for obesity: Obesity Stage 0 (BMI 30 or greater with no obesity-related comorbidities), Obesity Stage 1 (BMI 25 or greater with one or more mild to moderate obesity-related comorbidities, and Obesity Stage 2 (BMI 25 or greater and one or more severe obesity-related comorbidities). The recognition of obesity as a disease by the medical community does not mean that the stigma surrounding obesity is going to disappear. It does mean that many obstacles have been removed, and many doors opened, for researchers and physicians to formulate and pursue treatment options for the global epidemic of obesity. That is good news for the millions who suffer from this debilitating and life-threatening disease. Full Article

When I was in graduate school they taught us a deceptively simple principle for making financial decisions - weigh the cost vs. the benefit. Always. Without exception. Even relatively modest increases in cost may not be justified by marginal benefits. Very large increases in cost may be justifiable by extraordinary benefits. In our personal lives, we wear many different hats. Every time we take one hat off and put another one on, our perspective is often different. A justifiable cost from one perspective may be less conclusive from another. When I apply this reasoning to my weight loss surgery, the result is always the same. Whether I look at the cost from the perspective of - husband, father, grandfather, friend, mentor, business owner or just plain human being - regardless of how I look at it, the benefits of this surgery justify the cost many, many, many times over. Beyond any shadow of a doubt, from every possible perspective, the best investment I ever made. Or ever will make.

Great, great article Irene. Follow your plan, monitor your progress, react quickly to changes. Just superb!!

Great post Jen! Thank you!!

One of the best articles I've read in a long time and I read a lot of articles. Great job Alex!

What an interesting and perhaps more importantly, healthy conversation. The responses are a unique opportunity to see both sides of this very personal decision. One that has no right or wrong answer. Each option offering its own benefits, risks and opportunities. - The motivation for keeping the surgery private is often to avoid potential negative comments and actions. Certainly understandable. And the risk is real. But the decision also eliminates the potential for very positive and very powerful support. Not only from friends and family, but co-workers and acquaintances. - It's no one's business but mine. Most definitely true. But how many that might have been motivated by your personal courage and strength to take their own leap toward a better, more fulfilling, happier and longer life will miss that opportunity? - Who understands the pain and the unfairness of the obesity stigma better than the thousands of folks right here on this forum? And if we are willing to take the risk, who could possibly be better, real life examples of what is possible, what is attainable and who we really are?

Love the "Gotta Do Em's"!