Is there ANYONE here who is NOT getting surgery?

I found this group searching for NON-SURGICAL weight loss and obesity help in NH, and being titled "Obesity Help" I thought it would be appropriate. But it seems the whole site is 100% focused on getting people under the knife. From the top of the page ("Looking for a surgeon?") to the vast majority of the forums, it's all "bariatric surgery, bariatric surgery, bariatric surgery". There is almost no mention of non-surgical wight loss at all. I suspect that the site is funded by hospitals or some kind of pro-bariatric-surgery organization. I know that when I went to CMC's "Obesity Treatment Center, basically surgery was the only method discussed. I was immediately placed into their pre-bariatric class. as far as I can tell their only other offering is for the Optifast plan. NO mention was made of lifestyle changes or anything else. As far as I'm concerned, it should be named "CMC's Conveyor Belt To Our Profitable Bariatric Surgery Program". That's what it felt like - rushed right into surgery class.

Folks, surgery is NOT necessarily a great way to lose weight. It can have short-term benefits, yes. But over time there can be lots of complications, the weight can easily be all gained back, and your guts are irreversibly rerouted for life. And, of course, for the rest of your life you will really never be able to eat no rmally again and need supplements and so on forever.

I don't have a problem with surgery being presented as *one option*, but I find the deceptive naming irritating, both the "Obesity Help" site and CMC's "Obesity Treatment Center."

In fact, I have found a very simple way to get all the benefits of surgery without the surgery. I would mention it here but I'm afraid everyone would think I'm some kind of shill (even though it's completely free, something you can do on your own without paying a cent). But there ARE other ways. Don't take my word for it, try going to youtube and searching for "intermittent fasting". There are hundreds of videos by hundreds of people and doctors. They aren't my videos, I don't make a cent off anything, I just get annoyed when people get sucked in by the bariatric surgery when there is a much better way to do things!

There is a non-surgical forum - http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/non_postops/

And you're completely wrong about surgery not being a great way to lose (and maintain) weight. It would behoove you to read this article -- https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/12/7/16587316/ba riatric-surgery-weight-loss-lap-band -- and to leave your judgment at the door.

You're welcome to make your own decisions for your health, and you should. You're also welcome to come blazing onto OH and rant about how horrible surgery is, but doing so will get you labeled as an ignorant jerk.

Wow, a whole ONE forum, compared to the 929 surgery forums? I'm impressed!

And for you information, I know PLENTY about bariatric surgery - not only form my own extensive research but from actually being in two, week-long pre-surgical classes. So I know what I'm talking about. I quit when I realized how insane it is. I realized that even AFTER I had my guts re-routed permanently, I would STILL have to at a highly controlled diet for the rest of my life, not to mention all the risks of complications.

Label me what you like, I could not care less. Just trying to bring some light to the ones who have been duped into getting this surgery.

Your ignorance is showing again.

1: Not all surgeries "reroute guts."

2: Any lifetime weight maintenance requires a "highly controlled diet" for life (that's part of the lifestyle change thing that you whined about?)

3: Remaining obese has significant complications.

4: Very few people in OH were "duped."

1) Some don't, but most do. And the banding and sleeves are not offered/effective for morbidly obese people.

2) What kind of restrictions on eating are required will vary. People who get gastric surgery will have to follow a diet of very small amounts for the rest of their lives, not to mention constantly monitoring their protein and other factors.

3) We already agreed that obesity is bad - why do you keep saying this? My response is "DUH!!!!"

4) That's your opinion.

1: They aren't?! Wow. Could have fooled me. And many other OHers who have gotten the sleeve and successfully maintained their weight loss after class III obesity.

2: Funny - my way of eating is pretty much in line with the way my always healthy-weighted friends and family eat. Definitely not in line with the way my obese friends eat but, hey, they're obese.

3: Because you keep insinuating that complications will only happen if a person has WLS.

4: Yes, it is. Having actually interacted with people here for 4+ years.

If your way of eating is in line with the way your healthy-weighted friends eat, then why are you here?

Complications from WLS will only happen if one has WLS. Which part of that is unclear?

Do you know all these people you interact with personally? Can you read their minds? Do you know their reasons and motivations for 100% sure, or are you just putting words in people's moths? Did they give you permission to speak for them?

1: Clearly it wasn't - hence the class III obesity. Now, however, it is. Yay!

2: And complications from any medical treatment only come from that medical treatment. I guess no one should pursue any sort of medical treatment!

3: Ooookay. You are totally derailing, dude. Sorry that it ****** you off that many people on OH have been successful with something you're so offended by.

You do you. Hope you find the support you're looking for someday!

And I hope you take your blinders off someday. But you won't. Know why? Because you've had the surgery. You're stuck with it whether you have doubts about it or not. So you become a cheerleader for it. You've got a lot of your self-identity tied up in it, so you defend it like an attack dog. And the last thing you want to admit is that you made a mistake. Everyone hates admitting they made a mistake, especially a big one like this. You seem to be doing well, and I'm glad, but the simple fact is you didn't need to do it. Sorry! I guess that makes you feel bad, but instead of continuing to rant at me, why not spend your energy helping other people not make the same mistake?

Why do you think you lose weight and improve other things after surgery? It's because you are eating VERY little. Because you are FASTING.

Bariatric surgery is just surgically enforced fasting! You make fun of fasting for losing weight and improving health, but how do you think you did it? By fasting! Can you give me any other mechanism by which you think surgery works except for the fact that it forces you to fast? No, because there aren't any. You chose to force yourself to fast. I'm doing the same, except I'm doing it by choice and without surgery.

Here, I'll give you a link. Just one. Now, it starts off with a long section about how well bariatric surgery works - and it does work. But be sure to read all the way down to the section that says "Bariatrics versus fasting". Note that I found this after about 4 seconds of searching. There is much, much more proof.

https://idmprogram.com/bariatrics-surgically-enforced-fastin g-t2d-6/

If you have any peer-reviewed scientific literature showing that IF can induce metabolic changes, as bariatric surgery does, I would be interested to see them.

http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/59/12/3049.shor t

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1356398/