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In Reply to: Gastric bypass surgery posted by Marcy Beckett on June 21, 2003 at 20:18:34:
: To Whom It May Concern:
: I am wanting to have to Gastric Bypass surgery to help me loose weight. I understand that this is an elective surgery, but I have been struggling with losing weight all of my life. I want to be able to see my children go up and finish school and get married. But I am having alot of health problems that might get better with weight lose. I currently have Thyroid diease and problems with swelling in my legs do to being over weight. I also have a family history of Diabetes in my family along with my Mom and my Sister having problems with their legs also. I want to healthy.
: I also have problems with my breathing and my Doctor has said that it would get better if I would loose weight. I have tried many diets and exercise plans. I use to have a membership to a health club but I could not afford the membership anymore and I have tried Weight Watchers and diet pills. I don't know what else to do. Will you please consider allowing me to have to surgery.
: Sincerely
: Marcy Beckett
: P.S. Help me to help myself feel better.
Please.
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Hi Marcy:
I am a registered nurse and have been for over 20 years. I graduated from an eastern college. I also have worked for several endocrinologists and two dieticians. I came upon your recent inquiry on the Internet.
You have stated that you are considering Gastric Bypass surgery to help you loose weight; you have been struggling with losing weight all of your life; you are having a lot of health problems that might get better with weight loss; you currently have a thyroid disease and problems with swelling with your legs do to being over weight; there is a history of diabetes in your family; and that you have a problem with breathing.
Most overweight people have breathing problems do to being over weight. Reducing your weight should solve that problem unless your doctor has stated that you also have a pulmonary problem that you did not mention. There are many types of thyroid diseases and you did mention the cause of yours. Swelling of the legs goes long with carrying too much weight and you may have excess water in your joints.
Just because there is a history of diabetes in your family, if your doctor hasn't mentioned you are having the first symptoms of diabetes, that does not present a problem for you at this time.
In response to the Atkins diet, from experience, I will say the following: The Atkins diet is wonderful and it has certainly been recommended by several of the doctors I have worked for with great success. Also another diet that is similar to the Atkins plan, is the South Beach Diet. Both diets have wonderful success rates and aren’t hazardous to your health.
Most weight problems are derived from the inability of a body to handle carbohydrates which turn into sugar. The pancreas goes into a “tail spin”. Glucose powers most of what your body does, as well as fuels your brain. Low fat foods that have been marketed for the last few years taste good because they have increased the sugar amount. Check the labels. For instance, take a bottle of salad dressing next time you are in the grocery store—one low fat or lite and the other the “original”. Check the carbohydrate levels. Check other products in the store that are “low fat” or “lite” and sometimes “low sugar”.
After years of eating an abundance of carbohydrates, no exercise and the sedentary lives we now live, more than half of the people in this country are overweight. Lot of these people, are now suffering from hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and/or diabetes. These two ailments are for the most part connected to the inability to handle sugar. With hypoglycemic patients, it is a misnomer that one would think it is the opposite of diabetes. Quoting from Dr. Atkin’s New Diet Revolution, “hypoglycemic’s real problem is “unstable blood sugar.” For it is the over-reaction of the glucose mechanism (going up too high and then dropping too far and too fast). He further explains “if you’re insulin resistant…then your body at some fairly early stage in your life lost the capacity to respond quickly to insulin. It “resisted” the insulin and so the pancreas had to secrete more. The metabolic dynamics of glucose and insulin are thrown awry by this abnormal effort, and the body generally loses its capacity for fine tuning in this essential area.” When the pancreas is loaded down with sugar, it can’t function properly and the body cells starting storing that excess sugar as fat. Hence, weight gain. That’s about as simplistic as I can explain it.
There are always risks involved in undergoing surgery. Before undergoing surgery, try the low carbohydrate diet. Try the Atkins plan. It IS SUCCESSFUL and not hazardous. Get rid of the excess sugar in your body. No, you won’t be able to win this battle overnight. If you are “significantly overweight…have an eating (behavior) disorder, chances are much greater than 50-50 that you have insulin resistance and hyperinsulinism.” (New Diet Revolution) (Suggestion: get one of the books…read through it carefully… read the case histories…do your homework at the library or book store…consider everything else before surgery! These low carb diets DO work.)
Dr. Atkin’s diet as well as the South Beach Diet, the Zone, or Sugarbuster’s Diet’s gets the individual off the high carbohydrate way of life, stabilizes the blood sugar and then reduces the fat accumulated in the body cells. I may be getting a little too scientific but I have given you the “plain Jane” proven method of weight reduction and back to good health.
If this were a debate over weight reduction surgery or dieting by means of one of the methods listed above, the big loser would be the person who suggested that you have surgery before considering a dietary solution.
The other posters in the messages I read supporting surgery also would be the losers if this had been a debate.
I would then judge and declare Mr. Young as the winner of the debate by Mr. Young telling you to inform l your doctor you were going to try the Dr. Atkins’ plan. (and, I add, or one of the other low carbohydrate diets) before you submit yourself to surgery.
Naturally, it is always best to consult with your doctor before going on any diet plan. Best of luck, Marcy. Like to hear that you got rid of the bad carbohydrates and started on one of the low carbohydrate diets. You will lose weight, you will feel 100% better and you will be healthy as a result. Good luck!
Nancy Nurse