Was turned down by the bariatric network

I'm 31 and have been overweight my entire life basically. I have lost and gained my entire adult hood. The bariatric network called me and asked if I had followed a strict diet being followed by a health professional, either a dietician or some place like Dr Bernstein's. My Dr is the only one that has followed me but not very closely. I was directed to see a dietician for 6 months to a year and than get my doctor to reapply. I do understand why this is a helpful tool but I wasn't expecting this to take several years and I have seen people I know go thru this process without this step. I also would like to know whether I should go gung ho and loose as much as I can seeing the dietician or if I should let it fail like everything else has. they say ohip requires that you fail.

Hi, I am sorry that you are facing this additional hurdle.

OHIP does not want you to fail, but they do want to ensure you need the surgery, as it is not a light decision. There is some risk and of course it costs the province.

What is your BMI? If you have no comorbidities (diabetes, sleep apnea, etc.) they will require you to stay at or above a BMI of 40. If you have comorbidities you can go as low as 35 BMI.

I think it's a great idea to go for it and see what you can lose. But the frustrating thing is that many obese people can lose the weight, it's the repetitive regain that takes a toll. In my opinion, anyone who gets to the point of 35-40 BMI and stays there for years, should be a candidate for the surgery. But of course taxpayers are paying for it and there has to be a threshold.

Have you spoken to your referring doctor? Perhaps they can make inquiries on your behalf.

MY BMI IS ABOUT 50 I DO HAVE COMOBIDDITIES LIKE SLEEP APNEA ASTHMA AND PREDIABETIES. I CAN LOOSE WEIGHT BUT I HAVE ALWAYS GAINED IT BACK.

One of the requirements for the program is that you have tried at least one structured weight loss attempt.

Weigh****chers, Bernstein, etc...

I know my form even had hypnotherapy on it.

Good luck

I'm so sorry to hear this. I wasn't required to do this, but I rattled off a list of every diet I'd tried on my own, mentioned I had some success with weight loss but couldn't keep it off. I'm a lot older than you though, so maybe that's the difference?

I TOLD HER THE DIETS I HAD TRIED I HAD DONE A DIET FOR 4 MONTHS AT A PLACE LIKE HERBAL MAGIC. iVE DONE LOW CARB HECK IVE EVEN DONE THE PALEO DIET DIABETIC DIET. I EITHER DONT LOOSE MUCH OR I GAIN IT BACK ONCE I STOP.

Hi there,

I understand the frustration and disappointment. This is not an easy process. OHIP wants to make sure, I think, that people really have tried what they can, to lose weight on their own. Some people are successful in losing and keeping off the weight on their own, and do not need to jump right to surgery. Surgery should always be considered a last resort.

While 6 months seems like a long time, it's a very short delay in the grand scheme of things. Try not to get discouraged. Follow the recommendations. Give weight loss through healthy eating an honest try and then see where you are in 6 months. The surgery is not a magic pill... it is a lifetime of healthy eating anyway, so you can consider that your training ground.

Good luck.

iTS FRUSTRATING MORE BECAUSE MY DR TRIED TO GET ME THRU THIS PROGRAM YEARS AGO BUT I WANTED TO DO IT ON MY OWN NOW MY DR IS TRYING TO PUT ME THRU THE MEDICAL SIDE IN GUELPH BUT I DONT THINK THAT WILL WORK EITHER AND WILL ONLY POSTPONE THINGS FOR ME.