The Lap-Band - Observances from afar ...

I work with a young woman who was very overweight. When I started changing my lifestyle and health habits last June, she was in awe of how much willpower I had and, "How can you eat that healthy all the time, you must be starving!" I tried to explain to her that it can be done a bit at a time, that there is no quick fix so I was prepared to go the long haul (you know, the rest of my life) building healthier habits and learning moderation, and that NO I wasn't starving because I was learning to eat well and eat what I wanted within reason. She'd go on about how she wished she could lose weight, how she hated being fat (her words, not mine, so don't crucify me), how she admired my "willpower" and how envious she was because the weight was coming off ... and then not 5 minutes later I'd see her scarfing Oreo Cakesters (or some other assorted crap-food) in the kitchen here at the office. Yikes! It was all I could do to not turn to her and give her a, "REALLY???"

She ended up getting the lap-band back in March because she had convinced herself that there was no way she could lose weight on her own. She completely chucked any ideas of trying to actually change the habits or reasons WHY she was overweight, she wanted a quick fix.

So far, she has lost about 40 lbs, but HATES the thing and regrets ever having the procedure done.

At first, she was miserable because she could only eat soft, gruel-like substances, 4 oz at a time, every 2 hours. (She can eat regular foods now, just no more than 4 oz at a time.) She has become dangerously dehydrated 3 times so far because you cannot drink liquids while eating, and you cannot have liquids during a certain time period before and after eating so she is afraid to drink anything at all most of the time. We're talking hospitalization.

Now, she is in constant pain from either the lap-band itself or extreme hunger, so she doesn't sleep well. She can't get enough food so she is in a constant state of hunger and is dizzy and fatigued most of the time.

She is now battling with her primary care physician, the center that did the procedure, and our insurance to have them remove the band AND have our health insurance pay for it all.

I have to wonder, after seeing this whole thing unfold, why in god's name would someone elect to go through all that? If someone told me that I could lose all the weight I wanted, quickly, but could only eat or drink 4 oz of anything at 2-3 hour intervals ... no way, man! No way!

I'm sure to offend a few people here on CC, but I'll say it anyway: it is my personal opinion that getting the lap band or gastric bypass surgery is cheating. Most of all, it's cheating yourself. Taking the quick fix is a sure way to NOT work on the reasons why you gained weight in the first place - it's a bandaid.

I like this girl and I feel sorry for her and wish her the best. I've offered to be a weight-loss buddy, if she wants to try losing more weight once she can eat normally again (last I heard, she was close to getting approved to have the band removed). I just hope she has learned that the quick-fix is not the way to go when it comes to losing weight. I fear, though, that because she had previously convinced herself that it's impossible for her to lose weight the healthy way, she may gain back what she has lost and then some. So sad.

Oh, and as a side note to this little tale, I love in Southern California and see those damn lap-band ads EVERYWHERE! People must be eating them up and banding themselves like crazy ... they even say that you only need to be 50 lbs overweight at the least to get it. WHAT?? It makes one feel icky.

Sounds like she either had a bad doctor, or did not follow her doctor's instructions very carefully.  I know someone who had lap band surgery  3 years ago next month, and has lost weight at the rate of 2  pounds per week ever since.  He no longer takes medication for anything at all, including diabetes and  hypertension, because those medical conditions are no longer out of control.

He says his only regret is that it wasn't available to him years ago.

I'm sure lapband surgery is not the answer for most people, but it could be the answer for some people.

That's sounds like a horrible experience, but I too have known some very successful people who were banded - they were closely followed by their physicians and only had rough times when they were getting the fill adjusted in the band - it has to be just right.  Not for everyone, like the mass advertising makes it seem, but is certainly an additional tool for others to help them get healthier.  So sorry the girl at your work is having such a bad time - wondered if insurance would pay for complications related to such procedures. 

I worked with a woman who had similar problems. She lost quite a bit of weight but was malnourished and such. Instead of getting it removed and leaving it at that, she got it removed and got gastric bypass. Every time I saw her she was eating Krispy Kreme donuts or some equally unhealthy food. 

My boyfriend and I watched a documentary the other day about obesity in America, and they had a bit about a 12 year old girl that got liposuction because "she just couldn't lose the weight"

so of corurse she gains all of the weight back... and you know what she says?

"I just need to have the lap band surgery."

so her parents took her to Mexico to get it.

It never said what happend though. I'm curious.

I tend to be rather sarcastic about weight loss sugery. It was developed for people who were so overweight that they have mobility problems and such severe health problems that rapid 'cheating' weight loss benefits them. Now it is used by anyone who doesn't feel like dieting.

The funny thing is, after surgery, you have to eat healthy. Not initially, you'll lose lots of weight initially. But to avoid nutrient deficiencies and weight regain (a common problem for those who've had the surgery), one has to stay on a strict diet. So, if it's going to work, you have to eat healthy anyway, when doing that to start with would have eliminated the need for surgery.

I know people with the lap band, and I like them, and its working for them, but personally, I'd rather be healthy without being forced. I'd rather not give up on myself.

I know a lady who had gastric bypass done and she still eats 3 12" subway sandwiches and ends up throwing up after. -.-

I have a friend who got the lap band.  She's had alot of problems with it.  can't eat alot of foods, food gets stuck and she ends up having to throw it up, etc.  She lost 25lbs of initial weight and has very very slowly lost only a tiny bit more. 

 The problem is that not many people I've seen who have had lap band have made it to a totally healthy BMI.  I think that the reason is because they end up having to eat such little food.  My friend averages about 1000 calories a day.  Most of us who have been here for a while know that if someone under-eats for an extended period of time, the metabolism starts to slow down to match the new lower intake.  If this is done on a long term basis, how do people expect to go from 250lbs to 150lbs?  Heck, I've seen people here who have stalled out after a month of under eating.  It only got better when they raised their calories a bit.

I don't know....I'm just not convinced that it's the best thing for people unless they are seriously obese and are literally facing death if they don't lose weight immediately.  I think this is what the lap band was really designed for, but these doctors know that they can charge massive amounts of money for the surgery as well as all of the consultations and doctors visits that follow.