Stomach Stapling
 

This article got me kind of pissed off. But then I thought hey, maybe people have a genuine medical condition that requires it. And I've been fourteen and know I wouldn't have gone near the fat girl (I'm less of a bastard now) which, I imagine, could cause some self-esteem problems that might make it hard to play sports/stop eating.

Does anyone want to defend this kind of surgery or am I right in taking as another sign of our general societal decay?

I agree in some cases this could be a cop out. But if the individuals have tried other diets under a Dr's supervision and cannot drop the weight. If they are as active as possible and are still unable to succeed I think this is a very good thing. I think the girl they mentioned in the article is a worst case scenerio of someone who may not really need this. Slim Fast is fine but it isn't meant to be a lifestyle. People need to learn to eat right or this procedure could do as much harm as good. The girl just sitting in front of the TV all day is ridiculous.

On the other hand:
I know a woman who tried every kind of dieting out there. She could eat practically nothing and yet couldn't loose weight. She got her stomach stapled. It worked. She can't eat as much now no matter if she wants to or not. Also the food she eats doesn't get absorbed as well. She knows she has to eat things that are high in nutrition because what is absorbed is essential. She lost all her excess weight. She is healthy and happy. It helps with the self control but it is better for you than diet pills and fad diets and all. Her insurance actually paid for it because of the health benefits. Some people might look at it as cheating and I sortof did too until I met her and saw what it did for her. She tried dieting but the way her body worked it was very difficult to loose anything even while she stayed active. This was the boost she needed. It isn't a complete cheat because she still has to eat right and not eat too much. It helps though. It gives her to motivation and the step up she needed. She went from over 300 lbs down to 125. She is a beautiful woman inside and out but most people wouldn't have looked past the fat. She still has extra skin from being so big but her body is healthy now and that is what she needs. The extra fat slowed her down and hurt her in other ways. It's not all about looks or she would have gotten a tummy tuck and other things cosmetically done. It was about her health and life.

The problem with stomach stapling and other forms of cosmetic surgury is that it breaks a social custom. (on a grand scale, stomach stapling is surgury whose intended result is cosmetic)

Namely, people who are good looking had to put effort into becoming good looking. Those who 'cheat' via surgury or other means are breaking this custom, and those who do it 'honestly' do and probably should find it reprehenceable.

It devalues the investment those who work on their body put into their body.

The absolutely worst possible thing you can do is fail to follow silly local customs: rubbing blue mud in your belly when the locals do. (RAH)

There are also the side issues of the fact that most of these processes are pretty dodgy on a whole. =) But, many of the people who object to this sort of thing would object to a perfectly safe version of it, simply because it is cheating.

As an aside, I agree with the people who think rubbing blue mud in your bellybutton is a horrible thing not to do. Cheating at having an attractive body, when it is almost always not that hard to get one, is not a sign of a froody dude.

At the same time, I look forward to the day when technology can rebuild/repair you at a whim. Probably won't help all that much, admittedly: having the 'right' outfit matters more than having good quality clothes to a good chunk of the population. Simularly, having the 'right' body shape/condition will matter more than having a healthy body.

It doesn't sound like she tried all that damn hard to lose weight.

I'm all for people who do this that have fallen into extreme obesity because of medical conditions- glandular imbalance, genetic disorder, etc. I would agree this would be the best course of action if the person in question was too obese to function in society (a shut in), because it's hard to lose weight when you get out of breath walking to the refrigerator.

But this child just ate her way into obesity and looked for a cheap way out. It disgusts me.

Since the article in question isn't showing up for me, I'll have to go on what I've seen other posters say.

My opinion is that there are certain people for whom this surgery is right. It is NOT a cosmetic procedure, since the end result is hardly any more attractive than the beginning (large scars and excess skin are common).

However, for certain people for whom the risks of the surgery are outweighed by the risks of their current state, then it's truly a blessing. People (especially older people who may be less able to exercise) with severe weight problems who have tried all other methods can often benefit from this surgery. It will get the weight off quickly, and can save a life. It WON'T make you into a supermodel.

I have a lot of sympathy for people with weight problems, since I graduted high school at 5' 9", 300 pounds (and I'm still a rather big guy). And, I used to think that surgeries like this were the answer (along with fad diets). However, I've since realized that in my case (and for most people this is true), the reason for the weight gain is a lack of self-control, and therefore the way to lose the weight is self-control. I was able to lose 65 pounds in about 1 year, and it's really made me realize that only the individual can be held responsible for their well-being, especially as far as weight is concerned (in most cases).

That's just my $.02, though. :)

I don't think anyone has a fast enough metabolism to burn off fucking fried chicken, barbecued ribs, macaroni and cheese, buttered popcorn and chocolate milk by just watching television all day.

I don't really like the surgery, partly because I've dealt with heart problems and asthma on top of an intense training routine just to look good and be healthy. So I resent the fact that someone can just take the easy way out, defeat themselves and still win. Though at the same time, people need to stop being such fatties.

Can I take that last statement out of context and use it as my signature?

An immediate family member has been looking to have it done. Thyroid cancer and long term glandular issues have kept her very overweight. Her metabolism is dependent entirely upon medication, and she can eat absolutely nothing and gain weight. It has definite medical justification. It can prevent skeletal problems, diabetes, etc.

I have an aunt that had this surgery done who has always had serious problems with her weight. I was not very optomistic when I heard that she was going to do it. My aunt lost a bit of weight and then gained it all back and stretched her stomach out again through her eating habits. The problem is that people have to change their lifestyle and no surgery is going to do that for you. I first read this article a week or so ago off of Fark, and felt sad for the girl because her parents don't do anything. They knew she had a weight problem, but still bought her all that junk food, and let her sit on her ass all night and watch tv. I guarentee that this surgery will not help her lose that much weight in the long run.

Talking to me? If so then sure. Spread the word, like I do when I honk at fatties on the sidewalk and scream "Hey! Walking to McDonalds fatty!? haha!"

Just kidding, I only honk at hot chicks.

Interesting responses.

I have been accused of being a bleeding heart liberal and I do try to have sympathy for everyone, but its really hard with the morbidly obese. Unless theres some serious medical condition, its hard to think of an excuse for them. In the paraphrased words of Denis Leary, "when you can't see your penis, stop eating".

I mean absolutley no offense to your immediate family member with this question, WarWagon, but do you know how these glandular conditions work so that you can gain weight while eating nothing? It seems like the amount of weight you gain should be a simple calories in - calories out equation, and as long as you're alive it seems like you should be burning some calories.

None taken iccky. This link gives a good brief synopsis of the issue: http://www.gsdl.com/assessments/find...t/thyroid.html