WLSFA California Dreamin’ Highlights

May 4, 2015

The Weight Loss Surgery Foundation of American (WLSFA) held their California Dreamin' 5th Anniversary Fundraiser in San Diego, April 10-12. WLSFA's annual events help the organization in achieving their  mission of providing education and support to individuals affected by obesity, in addition to raising funds to award surgery grants. The weekend included education sessions presented by patients and professionals, as well as evening social events. Attendees also have the opportunity to meet various vendors within the bariatric, health, and fitness community and sample new products.

Highlights of the weekend included:

Zsalynn from TLC's My 600 Pound Life and the movie All of Me spoke on Saturday. Zsalynn spoke openly and honestly about her appearance on My 600 Pound Life and shared information about the process of the show and the pre and post surgical support and care she received. While her story is most notable, many viewers also remember her husband and his attitude towards Zsalynn losing weight.  They are now separated and Zsalynn is focused on creating the best life for herself and her daughter. The process of having surgery on the show, differs from patients who have to complete a process of evaluation and classes for insurance, since no insurance is involved. An entire year is edited down to one sixty minute episode so it is impossible to show every part of the journey.

Professional speakers included crowd favorite Diana Vogel who provided information on managing emotional challenges after surgery. She provided tips on identifying issues and developing skills to help live a successful post-op life. Dr. Matthew LeMaitr spoke about the stigma surrounding weight loss surgery and encouraged attendees to shed the shame stigma can cause in daily life.

"WLSFA Meet & Greet was a fabulous time of seeing old friends and making new ones. I attended a very informative class on fashion taught by Patricia Miller and learned what styles and patterns to wear to minimize and maximize for my shape. I found out I'm a banana. Who knew?" - Jamie C.

The Friday night social event was themed Fabulous '40s Night and included a Pinup and Dapper Dan Costume Contest. The Night of Dreams Gala was held Saturday and included grant recipient announcements as well as recognition of BariAthletes, Jim Sellner and Jennifer Mahoney.

For the third year, singer Carnie Wilson, returned as WLSFA Ambassador of Hope. This year in addition to a special Sunday brunch where attendees could personally interact with Carnie, she also hosted a cooking competition, Chopped WLSFA Style. Last year, Carnie won Celebrity Chopped on the Food Network and donated prize money to WLSFA.

"Chopped WLSFA style was a hoot! The cooking was good, for the most part,but what was great was the overwhelming feeling of support and the good natured competition. It would be a great annual event." - Mary C.

For Chopped WLSFA Style, contestants were preselected after submitting a weight loss surgery friendly recipe for consideration and an essay explaining why they should be selected as a chef competitor. Dana Osborne, Patty Bullock, and Sarah Waffle were selected to participate in the live competition. On Sunday morning, the three chef contestants were given one basket of ingredients and had 30 minutes to create a dish. Carnie was joined at the judges table by Rosemary Almgren and Zsalynne Wittworth. Dana Osborne was chosen as the winner and received a $500 BlendTec Blender.

For more information about the Weight Loss Surgery Foundation of America visit their website.

Photo Credit: Sarah Bramblette (top), Antonia Namnath (bottom)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sarah (aka Sarahlicious) has been an active member of ObesityHelp since 2003. Her specific areas of interests are Lipedema, Lymphedema, Obesity, and Health Insurance advocacy. Sarah writes about her life experiences at Born2lbFat. She is a member of the Board of Directors of both the Obesity Action Coalition and the Lymphedema Advocacy Group. Sarah has a Masters in Health Law. Read more articles by Sarah Bramblette!

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