Misunderstandings..

I was asked my opinion the other day about whether or not I felt obesity was a mental disorder.

Thinking back to that day, the article in the Herald and that question, I am still baffled that the medical community can even repeat the phrase "Obesity is a Mental Disorder". It irritates me knowing that there are people in this world that see obesity as an individual condition that should be as simple to manage as brushing your teeth.

I can't imagine anyone would argue with me if I said that Obesity is a side effect of one or more conditions (i.e. genetics, habit, disease, immobility, obsession, depression... etc..). This isn't a new concept. Obesity is just a fancy word used to say "really really fat". In reality though, this is exactly what is wrong with the perception of our health and bodies in society now.

I remember, from one of my numerous diet/exercise regimens I tried over the years, that I was told "Don't set your goals to 'lose weight', you will fail every time. Set your goal to be healthy, eat well, live a healthy lifestyle. You will still lose weight, but it will be a side effect of your new healthy attitude."

At the time, I thought 'yeah whatever'. Probably because I was jaded for having to go through it at all, or maybe it was at the tail end of one of my weight loss attempts and I had already given up.. but it still sat there in the back of my brain all these years just waiting to resurface.. and so it has.

Obesity is a result of something. It is caused by something and it is that "something" that needs to be identified and treated.

Unfortunately, during the process of becoming and staying obese, a lot of other "somethings" come up and become priority.

You may not realize it but Diabetes is one of the hardest things to manage while you are trying to lose weight. It is hard enough to lose weight right? But now add on medications that cause weight gain, low blood sugar attacks forcing you to the refrigerator to grab any sweet item in sight and wolf it down without taking the time to chew. During one of my 'low' points, I prayed to God that I would get Diabetes so that I would be "forced" to do something about my weight. I was in a bizarre depression with guilt and regret and I was willing to sell my pancreas to the devil to lose the weight. And so it was. Only a year later I was Diabetic.

Those other issues associated with Obesity commonly referred to as co-morbidities can get really serious. Aside from the obvious possible heart problems, liver problems can creep up, joint problems, skin problems and even memory loss. So we go to a liver specialist and take pills, go to physiotherapy and aquasize to manage the joint pain, buy expensive medicated lotions and scan infomercials for that one guy with the amazing ability to remember every name of every person he meets. I am sure his book and dvd were in the range of 99.99 in 3 equal installments. That should fix the memory issues....

That is treating Obesity. It is treating all the effects of "somethings" that creep up as a result of the excessive weight gain. Yet the root cause never gets discovered.

We float in our little inflated dingy, with a treasure chest of root causes at the bottom of our ocean, riding the waves hoping our problems wash up on shore.. but they never do.

People who aren't obese also have these hidden problems waiting to be uncovered but for whatever reason don't end up gaining weight. As a result they don't end up obese. Lucky for them I guess, unless they have other side effects - which they probably do.

All of this really just makes me realize more and more how critical it was that I have surgery. I have spent years looking for my root causes. Sure I had to work on treating the "somethings" along the way but I also tried to dig deep to find my cause. It wasn't until my "somethings" became their own threat with Diabetes and Hypothyroidism that I realized it was time to do something else.

With surgery I have taken an approach which directly impacts my root causes. Basic anatomy. Food goes in, pounds go on. So now, little food goes in, even less food absorbed and weight pours off. I may have some treasure chests at the bottom of my ocean still waiting to be discovered but rather than wait for that day, I have circumvented their impact on my health.

I hope that society stops treating Obese people like criminals and starts treating us/them like humans. We don't need labels or excuses, we don't need to be called failures and we certainly don't need to be called mentally ill. We just need someone who actually knows a damn thing or two about obesity that can help!

Maybe thats why surgery was so appealing. So far, the BPD-DS is the only tool that has proven effective for the long term in more than 99.9% of patients I have talked to.

Seriously, if I see "results not typical" on one more weight loss program, diet supplement or home gym infomercial, I may just go postal!

We're long past the day of "I'll believe whatever you tell me if you put a pretty shiny bow on it" we've moved into the "if you're going to talk the talk, you better walk the walk - Prove it!" era. And with that, I wish the medical community lots of luck!

In the mean time, I will remain open but cautious minded and I will continue to shed the pounds. For the first time I don't have anxiety that I will fail. Well, I do have anxiety that the surgery will fail, but almost every patient wonders if they will be the one that fails. That is what a lifetime of yo-yo diets and revolving door medically supported weight loss plans will do to a person.

When I am eventually at my normal weight, I will look back on these moments and wonder how I was able to be obese so long. I know I will be overwhelmed not knowing how I could possibly have endured 14 years of adult life in a body over 350lbs. And when that moment does arrive, I will hold compassion in my heart for those that will be buying my plus sized consignment clothes and offer my experience and wisdom to any who are thinking of surgery as an option... a tool, not a cure.