Newbie Lurker - What's Up With This?
I have been lurking for a while...forgive me no harm intended....just enjoying the conversations
Anyway, I ran across this on another message board and wanted to hear your thoughts.... Is it true..do we lose slower or less? Is one surgery better suited for us?
On January 13, 2009 at 9:33 PM Pacific Time, Bearmom wrote: Several things. You need to look at the DS while doing your research on WLS, as it has the best statistics on percentage of weight lost, maintenance of loss, and resolution of co-morbidity's including cholesterol and diabetes.There is also some encouraging info about the DS regarding people of color which I'm re posting from one of Diana Cox posts.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/African_American_Duoden al_Switch_Support/?yguid=196013215
1: 2008 Jan;18(1):39-42. Epub 2007 Dec 15.
Links Obes Surg.
The impact of race on weight loss after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery.
Harvin G, DeLegge M, Garrow DA.
Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Digestive Disease Center, Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), 96 Jonathon Lucas Street, CSB #210, P.O. Box 250 327, Charleston, SC, USA.
BACKGROUND: Gastric bypass surgery for morbid obesity has dramatically increased in volume over the past decade. Caucasian patients have been noted previously to lose more weight after bariatric surgery than African-Americans patients. Data regarding predictors of maintaining weight loss after surgery are minimal. We sought to determine predictors of long-term weight loss after bariatric surgery. METHODS: Retrospective analysis using a multivariate logistic regression model of all patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina from May 1993 to December 2004 for whom 2 years of follow-up data was available. Our dependent variable was the percentage of weight lost from baseline, dichotomized at +/-35%. Our primary independent variable was race, defined as Caucasian, African-American, or other. Relevant covariates were added to the model to control for their potential effects on outcome. RESULTS: One hundred eleven patients (17 male/94 female; 85% Caucasian, mean age 44 years (range 18-68 years). In our model, Caucasian subjects (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 7.60, 95% confidence intervals [95%CI] = 1.83-31.5) and late post surgical complications (adjusted OR = 2.67, 95%CI = 1.05-6.80) significantly predicted weight loss at 2 years, after controlling for relevant confounders. Other covariates did not significantly impact the model. CONCLUSION: Race and late post surgical complications significantly impacted the percentage of weight loss at 2 years for patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery at our institution. Future research should be directed at determining potential genetic and/or social reasons for these differences.
1: 2007 Apr;17(4):460-4.Links Obes Surg.
Are African-Americans as successful as Caucasians after laparoscopic gastric bypass?
Madan AK, Whitfield JD, Fain JN, Beech BM, Ternovits CA, Menachery S, Tichansky DS.
Section of Minimally Invasive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 956 Court Ave., Room G210, Memphis, TN 38163, USA. amadan@...
BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGBP) has been demonstrated to provide weight loss comparable to open gastric bypass. It has been suggested that African-Americans (AA) are not as successful as Caucasians (CA) after bariatric surgery. Our hypothesis was that AAs are just as successful as CA after LRYGBP in terms of weight loss and comorbidity improvement. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed on all AA and CA patients who underwent LRYGBP for a 6-month period. Success after LRYGBP [defined as (1) 25% loss of preoperative weight, (2) 50% excess weight loss (EWL), or (3) weight loss to within 50% ideal weight] was compared by ethnicity. RESULTS: 102 patients were included in this study. 97 patients (30 AA patients and 67 CA patients) had at least 1-year follow-up data available. Preoperative data did not differ between both groups. There was a statistically significant difference in %EWL between AA and CA (66% vs 74%; P<0.05). However, there was no ethnic difference in the percentage of patients with successful weight loss (as defined by any of the above 3 criteria). Furthermore, there was no statistical difference between the percentages of AA and CA patients who had improved or resolved diabetes and hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: LRYGBP offers good weight loss in all patients. While there may be greater %EWL in CA patients, no ethnic difference in successful weight loss exists. More importantly, co-morbidities improve or resolve equally between AA and CA patients. LRYGBP should be considered successful in AA patients.
1: 2007 Jun;15(6):1455-63. LinksObesity (Silver Spring).
Weight loss and health outcomes in African Americans and whites after gastric bypass surgery.
Anderson WA, Greene GW, Forse RA, Apovian CM, Istfan NW.
Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
OBJECTIVE: The objective was to describe differences in weight loss, dietary intake, and cardiovascular risk factors between white and African-American patients after gastric bypass (GBP). RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: This was a retrospective database review of a sample of 84 adult patients (24 African-American and 60 white women and men) between the ages of 33 and 53 years. All subjects had GBP surgery in 2001 at the Bariatric Surgery Program at Boston Medical Center in Boston, MA, and were followed for one year postoperatively. Patients were excluded if weight data were missing at baseline, 3 months, or 1 year after GBP. A total of 9 African Americans and 41 whites provided data at all 3 time-points and were included in the study. Differences in weight loss, diet, and cardiovascular risk factors were analyzed. RESULTS: There were no differences in baseline characteristics between African Americans and whites. Mean weight loss for the entire sample was 36 +/- 9%, with a range of 8% to 54% relative to initial body weight. Whites lost more weight (39 +/- 8%) than African Americans (26 +/- 10%) (p < 0.05). Dietary parameters, as well as improvements in blood pressure and lipid profiles, were similar in the two racial groups. DISCUSSION: Differences in weight loss between severely obese African Americans and whites undergoing open GBP are unlikely to be related to postoperative dietary practices. Our data are consistent with previous reports implicating metabolic differences between the two racial groups.
1: 2006 Feb;16(2):159-65.Links Obes Surg.
Ethnic differences in obesity and surgical weight loss between African-American and Caucasian females.
Buffington CK, Marema RT.
U. S. Bariatric, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, FL 33308, USA. drbuff@...
BACKGROUND: In the general population, African-American females are more obese and resistant to weight loss than Caucasian women. In the present study, we examined the severity of obesity among morbidly obese African-American and Caucasian females, studied the effectiveness of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP), and sought to identify factors contributing to obesity and weight loss. METHODS: The study population included 153 morbidly obese females randomly selected from our general bariatric patient population. Anthropometric measurements consisted of body weight, body mass index (BMI), excess weight, and waist, hip, thigh, and neck circumferences. Factors that may contribute to obesity included age, age of obesity onset, number of childbirths, calorie intake, diet composition, and degree of psychological distress. The effects of RYBGP were studied in weight-matched groups of African-American and Caucasian females (n=37 per group) at weight loss nadir, i.e. 12 to 18 months after surgery. RESULTS: We found that morbid obesity is more severe among African-American than Caucasian females. The greater degree of obesity of African-American, as compared to Caucasian, females is not due to ethnic differences in calorie intake, diet composition, age or age of obesity onset, number of childbirths, and psychological distress. RYGBP is less effective in reducing body fat and, consequently, excess body weight of the African-American than the Caucasian females, suggesting possible ethnic differences in fat metabolism. CONCLUSION: African-American females with morbid obesity have greater adiposity than do Caucasian women and lose significantly less body fat after RYGBP.
1: 2001 Jul;12(3):129-36. LinksJ Assoc Acad Minor Phys.
Bariatric surgery for severe obesity.
Sugerman HJ.
Department of Surgery, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0519, USA. hsugerma@...
Severe obesity is associated with multiple comorbidities and is refractory to dietary management with or without behavioral or drug therapies. There are a number of surgical procedures for the treatment of morbid obesity, including purely gastric restrictive, a combination of malabsorption and gastric restriction or primary malabsorption. The purely gastric restrictive procedures, including vertical banded gastroplasty and laparoscopic adjustable silicone gastric banding, do not provide adequate weight loss. African-American patients do especially poorly after the banding procedure with the loss of only 11% of excess weight in one study. Gastric bypass (GBP) is associated with the loss of 66% of excess weight at 1 to 2 years after surgery, 60% at 5 years and 50% at 10 years. For unknown reasons, African-American patients lose significantly less weight than Caucasians after GBP. There is a risk of micronutrient deficiencies after GBP, including iron deficiency anemia in menstruating women, vitamin B12, and calcium deficiencies. Prophylactic supplementation of these nutrients is necessary. Recurrent vomiting after bariatric surgery may be associated with a severe polyneuropathy and must be aggressively treated with endoscopic dilatation before this complication is allowed to develop. The malabsorptive procedures include the partial biliopancreatic bypass (BPD) and BPD with duodenal switch (BPD/DS). The BPD appears to cause severe protein-calorie malnutrition in American patients; the BPD/DS may be associated with less malnutrition. Weight loss failure after GBP does not respond to tightening a dilated gastrojejunal stoma or reducing the size of the gastric pouch. These patients may require conversion to a malabsorptive distal GBP, similar to the BPD. However, because of the risk of severe protein-calorie malnutrition and calcium deficiency BPD should be reserved for patients with severe obesity comorbidity. The risk of death following bariatric surgery is between 1% and 2% in most series but is significantly higher in patients with respiratory insufficiency of obesity. In most patients, surgically induced weight loss will correct hypertension, type II diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, obesity hypoventilation syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux, venous stasis disease, urinary incontinence, female sexual hormone dysfunction, pseudotumor cerebri, degenerative joint disease pains, as well as improved self-image and employability. 
(deactivated member)
on 2/2/09 12:28 pm
on 2/2/09 12:28 pm
I had never heard this before, but it does not surprise me. I think as African Americans we seem to be more tolerant of weight. A lot of us never really have the goal of being thin, but 'thick'. Plus our eating habits and love for soul food predisposes us to poor dietary choices.
I was surprised to see that the researchers state that African American women carry more adiposity than White women. In my opinion Black women tend to look and have more of a muscular undertone. We tend to carry larger amounts of weight on our frames without looking loose and jiggly.
It just goes to show you that two scientists can take the same research results and skew them any way they want, that the beauty of statistics.
I was surprised to see that the researchers state that African American women carry more adiposity than White women. In my opinion Black women tend to look and have more of a muscular undertone. We tend to carry larger amounts of weight on our frames without looking loose and jiggly.
It just goes to show you that two scientists can take the same research results and skew them any way they want, that the beauty of statistics.
I absolutely agree with you Data can and often IS skewed/manipulated against anything POSITIVE for Black people. It all depends on who is PAYING! Often-times Presumptions for Research and their Conclusion are based on hypothese that are WRONG relative African Americans because No ONE took the time to seek out OUR full needs, goals and purposes. There is just an assumption that "They" know US and our needs. They think that all Black women want to wear a size 4 like white women...have these reaserchers ever asked why Black women have far less Osteoporosis than white women>>>Because Our bone structure is so different, our bones, for the most part are denser than white women. Hell, there are scientist out there saying that Blacks are more disease prone than white, that's NOT true, because most of our people are lower income,we have no health care, therefore by the time many of us get to a doctor we are further along in an illness or dying. And the worse is that WE are TARGETED by liquor companies, cigarette companies, and the like for al the worse products. These things are not a matter of some "Genetic" predisposition, it is because of EXPLOITATION! Dayyum this data and Dayyum the *****es (males and females) that dug it up actually to harm and discourage good people who are trying to get their Lives together.
I didn't read all of that MESS ...and that is what it IS, MESS! I recall some "racist" woman in the RNY room said many hateful things to me, INCLUDING posting this piece of MESS to try and hurt me because I said that I did not care for the DS...too many complications and also because I said that I wanted to change my Lifestyle from around bad eating habits. She used this article to try and tell me that I would "FAIL" if I did not do the DS, and believe it or not, she and a few others even mentioned contacting my Surgeon so that he would not help me. WOW, how hateful is that!
Anyway, the whole purpose behind putting this stuff up is to "Discourage" Blacks generally and in particular from the RNY. I finally understood that MONEY is behind a lot of the Message Board Wars! Several of these Posters are PAID by Doctors and Clinics...to support their product (Including the type of Surgery), they are Paid Bloggers! We all know what they do and why. Too many haters!
EDITED To SAY: I KNOW that there will be people coming to defend that Post, but as for me, I will NOT reply because like people in Show Business say, "Any publicity is good publicity." Which means that this Poster WANTS to start a fight in here; BAF will be getting Screen names that we have Never seen before to defend this Post. The Post is offensive, just as if someone burned a cross on my lawn. Cowards come with hooded faces, in this case phoney screen names to cause harm. This IS DS propoganda, but beyond that, it is an attack on Black people. There are people in here who are very fragile at this time because of their surgery; they come in here for comfort and support, what do they see, this Big-Negative-Ass-Post telling them they are going to fail. It's No co-incident that the Poster put this thing up in Black History Month when we are really Positive about our History and the New President...Take the Post down
I didn't read all of that MESS ...and that is what it IS, MESS! I recall some "racist" woman in the RNY room said many hateful things to me, INCLUDING posting this piece of MESS to try and hurt me because I said that I did not care for the DS...too many complications and also because I said that I wanted to change my Lifestyle from around bad eating habits. She used this article to try and tell me that I would "FAIL" if I did not do the DS, and believe it or not, she and a few others even mentioned contacting my Surgeon so that he would not help me. WOW, how hateful is that!
Anyway, the whole purpose behind putting this stuff up is to "Discourage" Blacks generally and in particular from the RNY. I finally understood that MONEY is behind a lot of the Message Board Wars! Several of these Posters are PAID by Doctors and Clinics...to support their product (Including the type of Surgery), they are Paid Bloggers! We all know what they do and why. Too many haters!
EDITED To SAY: I KNOW that there will be people coming to defend that Post, but as for me, I will NOT reply because like people in Show Business say, "Any publicity is good publicity." Which means that this Poster WANTS to start a fight in here; BAF will be getting Screen names that we have Never seen before to defend this Post. The Post is offensive, just as if someone burned a cross on my lawn. Cowards come with hooded faces, in this case phoney screen names to cause harm. This IS DS propoganda, but beyond that, it is an attack on Black people. There are people in here who are very fragile at this time because of their surgery; they come in here for comfort and support, what do they see, this Big-Negative-Ass-Post telling them they are going to fail. It's No co-incident that the Poster put this thing up in Black History Month when we are really Positive about our History and the New President...Take the Post down
Be Well, Live Well
I Am Most Excellent - Affirmed Only Of GOD.
I wish for You, what I pray for Myself: Wellness, Happiness and Success In ALL Things Good!
I know for Sure I Control: My Attitude and Effort, My Health and Happiness.
Girl please! We didn't even know you existed till you started copying and pasted folks life stories and you have the audacity to tell somebody else to take down a post? 
~Shani~
I've been pudgy, chubby, thick, and now fat........Imma give thin a go round!!!
SW-262, size 18W, 5'6"
CW-168 1/15/2010
GW-162
94 Lbs down...6 more to go...changed goal to see Onderland for a hot second!
It would have been better to come out of lurkdom by introducing yourself than bringing something to get other people's thoughts. Who are you? And, what is the real purpose of your post?
JMO, but I don't think this is your average friendly post.
"fruits of my labor" Rebirth of Fruitful - Fri., Oct. 15! Band Replacement and hiatial hernia repair!
If you are supportive of Blacks, DELETE that Post! It is Hateful and Inflamatory!
Be Well, Live Well
I Am Most Excellent - Affirmed Only Of GOD.
I wish for You, what I pray for Myself: Wellness, Happiness and Success In ALL Things Good!
I know for Sure I Control: My Attitude and Effort, My Health and Happiness.
Yep, here we go again. whether its TRUE OR NOT, its the same ol' thing--coming on here with a BRAND NEW ACCOUNT with some bullschitt about blacks...we've seen it here before...
And Value, you are so right about how the 'results' of these 'scientific studies' are largely self-serving ans skewed... not just about wls, but I look at ALL of them sideways...
I say welcome to the board. I think sometimes it is a bitter pill to swallow when you read statistics that are skewed against your success. But, that said I think it's great you put it out there. I have always lived in the mind set that I can "beat the statistics"
I have in many respects and WLS will just be another.
Again welcome don't be a lurker get out here and post so that we can know you and support you in your WLS journey!
~Maxine
I have in many respects and WLS will just be another.
Again welcome don't be a lurker get out here and post so that we can know you and support you in your WLS journey!
~Maxine
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
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