Obesity Surgery seen as diabetes cure...

That's a quick and dangerous fix. Their weight loss, drastic weight loss, helped off set the diabetes. I dont know, I think articles like that can foster dangerous goals. I wouldn't run out and get the surgery in hopes of curing my diabetes - but then I'm not 100 pounds over weight.

You have to wonder how truthful the results are in this study. I dont have diabetes, but my partner does. I do have a gastric lapband however.

A lapband or gastric bypass is serious surgery. Once you have it put in, its there basically for your lifetime. It can be taken out, but the risks to do so are large and are not generally advertised as an option unless medically urgent. This isnt a put it in and bang your done kind of treatment. Its tough.

My partner has recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. He is sick, its been months and the doctors have not yet managed to get his medication right. He is very scared that he will become a type 1 and unfortunately, it is a very real possibility.

If it worked, and i mean really worked i would have him in the hospital in a heartbeat. I really hope they are onto something, but im not holding my breath.

Thinking about this it does make sense. Not just from the standpoint of fat reduction and the elimination of its influence on the body but when you think of digestion as well. The lap band lets food into the stomach to be digested at a slower rate / smaller amounts at a time. This could (therotically) introduce any sugar in a meal over longer periods of time which would keep your bloodsugar levels from spiking and for those who stil produce at least small amounts of insulin it could very well be at a rate their body is capable of keeping up with, instead of a large meal dumped in and suddenly digested.

Not to mention the dietary changes and restrictions having that surgery introduces. People who are committed enough to get that kind of surgery will probably not be sneaking a sweet or a soda in. So.. lots of factors to this IMO.

I've been watching those discovery shows about overweight people doing these surgeries, mostly really young people or extremely overweight (600+lbs). One young girl, about 19 years old, had the gastric bypass and she STILL ate poorly. It was sad to watch - her mother felt like she was neglecting her by not giving her sweets and junk food, it was horrible to see the girl struggle and her mother try to encourage her to buy potato chips to 'make her feel better'. With these surgeries should come A LOT of therapy - just limiting food to people doesn't help them change their eating lifestyle - there's something there causing the over eating, that needs to be addressed too.

/tangent off

Indeed Roz. You can't pop a pill, get some surgery and suddenly be a happy person.

If this sort of surgery works to help with diabetes that's great but they need to do some psyche evals before they start doing this to people. You have to change your eatting habits in that you can't gorge yourself but that doesn't mean people will go ah well I can't eat as much so I had better make sure what I do eat is good for me so I get the vitamins and nutrients. I'm fat and food addiction is like every other addiction in that it needs to be addressed on many levels.

I just hate this quick fix, pop a pill to be better society we live in Happiness can't be bought or drug induced or we'd all be medicated.

Except for Ambien

To get this surgery, for at least 6 month prior to and at least 2 years after, you go through regular therapy, dietitians, councilling, doctors, surveys and monitoring, personal trainers and support galore. However all that doesnt mean a thing if you dont put the work in.

They tell you that it is not a cure and if you choose to stick fish and chips in the blender, you may still be able to eat it (and yes people do this). Lollies/candy, icecream, potato chips etc are easy to eat and disolve basically as soon as they hit the stomach.

The thing that i never believed or understood before is that it is 100% psychological. How you feel and what you do about it is all in the head. Craving and hunger is all in the head. It actually has nothing to do with a state of physical being. If you dont deal with the emotional issues, you will never mend the physical ones.

Let me say quitting smoking was a walk in the park compared to this, but this will make me a better person.

Yeah I have to say that this kind of surgery is NOT a quick fix. And there are tons of psychological issues involved in being morbidly obese and overweight.

I know, I am.

My family and friends all wanted me to go for one of these surgeries but I just couldn't. I looked into it, I read all the great results you could have, and all the pros and cons. But I couldn;t bear the thought of it. Not only because hospitals scare me and such but because this is something so dramatic.. so permanently done to alter your body that the concept just freaks me out.

So.. I finally started working on the mental problems I have that make me so miserable and depressed all the time. I focused on *ME* and it's working. I'm not sure how much I weighed at my highest, my scale doesn't go that high and all I had were error messages on the digital readout. But I have at least a reasonable idea. And as of this morning after not quite a year.. really just about these last mmm... 6 months (I started, stopped for several months then reapplied myself) I am down almost 50 lbs. Just by eating wiser and making a few adjustments. No crazy plan, no exercise, no diet pills other than vitamins. The biggest change being to stop binge eating and snacking when I am upset and or unhappy but instead to work on the problems.

I still have serious mental hang ups I have to address so I can start exercising and try to progress further but as of this morning I finally broke below the sticking point I've had (yes my weight still goes up and down some.. there comes depressing times and I revert to my old habits but I am getting better, because I am trying!) Naturally I'm overjoyed and it's a shot of determination and willpower for me. Not to mention being down 2 sizes so far!! I'm beginning to grab old things from the back of the closet and some I can wear and some are this >< close. That is more motivation than having a stomach so small I can't overeat or I'll throw up.

It's all in your mind, and willpower. I look and see my Mother and Sister both quit smoking cold turkey after almost 40 / 20 years respectively. How can I tell myself it's OK to fail when they have proven what seems impossible.. isn;t? That's the type of mindset you need to succeed. It's sure as hell not some mom begging you to eat sweets to make yourself feel better. I think that mother is the one who needs psychological help as well!!!

But anyways.. I'm maybe 1/3 of the way to where I want to be, and no, that's not some book's suggested ideal weight either but it's a point I was at when I was a teenager and while not perfect it's good enough and certainly a hell of a lot better than I was! If I get there wilL I keep trying to lose weight? Quite possibly but, right now, all I can ask and hope for is to be just down to that point.

I just wish there was more done to address the root cause of eating problems for people. Counciling, support groups.. and most importantly AWARENESS. It sounds like more and more nowdays instead of a new diet pill or plan the latest desired quick fix is lap band, or gastric bypass. Good GOD how radical is that!? yes there is pre and post therapy but like has been said.. if they really want to eat bad despite all the hell of surgery then they will.

I know that this topic is old by now but haven't really had time to post lately just popped in to see whats new. I had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass on July 11 of 07. The main reason I did was being diabetic. I was on Metformin for 2 years and followed a strict diabetic diet as well as working out 5 days a week. Still my insulin levels were horrid and my doctor told me that I would either have to start on insulin. Having a terrible time with needles, hell I couldnt even poke my finger to do the blood sugar test in the morning. Since the surgery I no longer take metformin or zocor (high cholesterol). The main draw back for me had been vitamin B-12 I cant seem to keep the level where it should be. I have lost a total of 80ish pounds. It is not a quick fix by any means there is alot that you have to commit to for this surgery. Food is a different experience now and eating is more of a chore than something to enjoy.

Pic just before the surgery http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b315/crikett/Family/JohnChrissy.jpg
and about 7 months after http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b315/crikett/Chris1.jpg
I dont have any other pictures right now since kiddo broke the digi cam.