School Help Needed

I am taking an online nutrition class and this week we are focusing on obesity and its treatments.  Yes, you guessed it, I am in class with a bunch of narrow minded individuals and I have been defending my choice to have RNY gastric bypass.  This is one of the responses, can you help me in my response to them.  I have already mentioned my personal reasons for having surgery and have even gone into statistics to provide an educational answer, but this is the common response, excuse me for saying this, but stupidity of the individuals in my class.  My instructor has not done anything but defend this treatment, but it has not even helped.  Therefore,  I need your help in my respnse to this question: "I agree with you in regards to the gastric by-pass and the lap band. I think these are horrible things to do to yourself. It is just not natural. Most of the time they don't even work right." I want to educate them, I may not be able to change thier minds about the surgery, but I want to respond since this individual thinks it is not natural and a horrible thing to do to ourselves!!! Help, I am a little bit upset!!!  They sound like my mother-in-law!!!  GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR I did make this response after I posted this, because I thought about it some more and it would be interesting to see what they say. "I am so sorry that you feel the way that you do, but I must ask, what is it that you think is so "horrible" that a person that has these procedures has done to themselves and can you actually provide statistical facts to support your comment, "most of the time they don't even work right"?  I have been really thinking about your response and would like to understand it better." Shelia

Shelia, I would respond by giving a list of the the co morbidities that are gone as a result of the surgery. I would acknowledge that it is an "aggressive" treatment (not horrible), but that only about 8% of morbidly obese people can lose enough weight to make a difference, so this surgery is often a neccessity to save a life.  You might want to use the below illustration from the Cleveland Clinic to prove your point. The Cleveland Clinic Center for Medical Art & Photography © 2007

That is a wonderful chart, could you please send me the web address, so I can cite it in my post!!  I do not want to get in trouble for plagiarism Thanks,  Shelia

that is a great chart   great idea that    omgosh have over or had over half of that stuff myself. Annrenee

Sheila, I would like to web site as well.  I would like to use it for my Independent Study I am doing in the spring at UT College of Social Work on Weight Loss Surgery.  My teacher doesn't know I am having it, but I feel this is a two part education.  Being a therapist and a participant, can only help educate my clients (by first hand experience.) Thanks in advance, Sharon/Memphis, TN

Shelia I am so proud of you taking on such a class of ignort people,  you will show them your knowlegde .... your great Annrenee

Hello…..since the response (opinion) seems to be based on the procedure (RnY-Lap band) not being natural, I believe you should move your argument away from obesity and respond with other procedures. I would suggest---pacemakers, replacement hips and knees, false teeth, eye glasses, any type of medicine, and even treatment of cancer. None of these and other treatments are in no way natural. To truly live natural would be to let nature take its course and thin the population, whatever way occurs. If these procedures and others are accepted treatments then why not the Rny and Lap-Band?  I go a little out of my mind when I encounter folks with the opinion that these surgeries are a poor choice or a cheaters way out.  I always ask if they have ever been to a doctor or taken an over the counter medication. I know, my views on this may sound extreme and I am opinionated, but the idea that I or anyone else would be judged by the medical choices we make. You may never sway others opinions. Believe the choices that you have made are just like any other medical treatment to improve your life.

Peace----Keith

This is the way I was thinking too.  Take the focus off of WLS and on to "acceptable" "unnatural" procedures.

Shelia I have to admit, I used to be one of those "this is unnatural" people.  In fact, a fellow paramedic had the surgery about 4 yrs ago and I tried my best to talk her out of it (of course, now she is about 20 sizes smaller and doing fabulous). The problem is the person not being (or refusing to be) educated about the tremendous outcomes of eliminating or reducing the co-morbidities......use that chart from the cleveland clinic that is a great piece for educating people.........good luck WENDY

Here is the site--- http://www.asbs.org/Newsite07/patients/benefits.htm