Q: I love your column and would love to get some opinions on this. I don't know how to say this without sounding shallow, so here goes. I am no longer attracted to my husband because he has gained quite a bit of weight in the 6 years that we've been married (I would guess 40 lbs) and he was already short and on the big side when we started (which was fine with me, that's how I loved him), but this gain takes him from overweight to, well, obese. I am not slender either and have gained weight myself in the past few years (mostly due to having kids) but I do watch what I eat, go to the gym, jog, and am losing the pounds, albeit slowly - so I'm not expecting perfection. He, on the other hand, is just getting worse and worse and it disgusts me - won't go to the gym, use our treadmill or weights or boxing equipment and snacks on chips, soda, and greasy foods even thought I shop for and cook healthy meals.
Dear Dr. Frank: I've been fighting a losing battle with my weight all my life.
I look ugly and I hate myself. I weigh 100 pounds more than I did when I got married, and my family doctor says it's slowly killing me. I already have sleep apnea and hypertension; and at my last visit he said I'm borderline diabetic. Every diet I've tried has failed.
At this point, the doctor says I'm a candidate for lap band surgery.
From what I've read about this operation, it works for most people and they lose weight. But with my luck, I'm worried I won't be one of them - and then what?
Until recently there has been a widespread reluctance to perform weight loss surgery in people younger than 18. However, there now is growing evidence that it may have a very beneficial effect in some very obese teens with medical complications such as Type 2 diabetes that are caused by their obesity.
