Al Roker, you are not an inspiration to people everywhere.

The BBQ Pit
21

Just for the record - tummy tucks carry a certain risk, too.

As for Carnie “getting it right” more than Roker – she’s also further along post-surgery, too. Nor is she on TV everyday, where producers and other might pressure her to do certain things, such as eat irresponsibly.

Anyhow… the medical reserach think-tank where I work happens to be reviewing the procedure, to evaluate it’s effectiveness. Among other tidbits, the current death rate of ths surgery is 1 in 200. That’s the death rate - beyond that are also folks with serious complications. Please consider that before you resort to this surgery.

This procedure was intended for the “morbidly obese”. Think circus fat lady obese 400 or 500 lbs. Obese to the point a person can’t walk, and they’re in danger of death in a very short time. In other words, it was intended as a drastic, last-ditch attempt to save a life.

And please, let’s not dredge up the old myth that fat people are fat because they are greedy, lazy bastards. There ARE metabolic disorders that can cause obesity - my sister has one which, fortunately, was caught early and treated. If it hadn’t been, she could have ballooned up to several hundred pounds and died young. But she was lucky - there IS an effective treatment in her case that does not require surgery. Other unforunates may be doomed to a diet of 1000 calories for life, even if they excercise like insane people. Genetics really are a factor in at least some cases. It wasn’t that long ago that having an extremely efficient metabolism was an asset, it’s the environment that’s changed. Our level of food abundance is a new thing under the sun. We’re not adapted for it. I suspect the “fat, lazy bastards” are a minority of truly fat people. The problem is, people are hardwired to eat.

IF everything else has truly been tried, and IF the obesity is at a truly life-threatening level, drastic measures such as surgery are justifiable. And they can, truly, save a life. From what I’ve heard, Roker was experiencing health problems had unsuccessfully tried to lose the weight through other means, and he did take the time to research and consider before proceeding. If he’s a little giddy because he lost 100 lbs and hasn’t experienced any serious complications… well, I can forgive him that. See where he is in a year’s time and then make a judgement.

The BIG problem is that people who aren’t dangerously obese are now seeking the surgery. If you’re 6’ tall and 50 lbs overweight - yeah, you need to lose the poundage but you aren’t in the category of qualifying for this surgery. But people who are only a little overweight might well pester their doctors for the surgery, seeing only easy weight loss and not the consequences, like having to REALLY watch what you eat for the rest of your life, the need for nutritional supplements, “dumping syndrome”, the long-term risks like osteoporosis and other potential effects. There is a sort out there who, told by one doctor they aren’t a good candidate for surgery, will doctor-shop until they hear what they want to hear. And that guy might well be a quack who botches the job, and then you have another casualty and people calling to abolish the surgery. Which only hurts those who have a legitmate case for needing such drastic measures.

We saw the same thing with the fen-phen weight loss pills. There were real and serious risks. There were people whose health was so bad, though, that the risk of fen-phen killing them were less than their continued obesity killing them, in which case you can argue the risk was justified. But the treatment was banned because too many slightly overweight lazy bums preferred to pop pills than go on a real diet, or exercise (which is what they needed). So folks 40 lbs overweight took the risk and lost, and the fallout was that people who justify the risk of the treatment lost it as well.

We see the same problem with liposuction. A procedure originally intended to be used lightly, on fat deposits that really will not go away even after diet and excercise, is being used to “bodysculpt” people who are either looking for a quick fix, or who don’t really need to have those bits vacuumed out. And some of them die from complication.

I could go on and on… but why bother.

22

1 in 200? Sweet fancy Moses that sounds high.

Good post Broomstick.

23

Great post, but one correction…this surgery was intended for people who are at least 100 pounds overweight with significant health problems and an inability to lose weight and keep it off with conventional methods. One can even be under 100 pounds if the health problems are bad enough, but not much under.

I meet that criteria and am not a circus freak (although I feel like one). I’m 5’2 and 240 lbs. with back, hip and knee problems (caused by my weight), diabetes (caused by my weight), gastric reflux (caused by my weight). With the back problems ALONE, I am unable to walk much without serious pain and it has severly limited activities I used to enjoy. Hell, going to the mall for a half hour leaves me in pain for the rest of the day.

1 in 200 is an overall average. You have to consider the doctors that perform the surgery to pad their wallets and they botch the surgery (as in my example from a previous post). The more qualified and experienced doctors have better records. My doctor has a great record with approximately .03% death rate. Any surgery has it’s complications and a lot of these deaths are caused by anesthesia problems.

24

Sorry if I went a bit over the top there. But I wanted to emphasize this wasn’t for the “I need to lose 10 lbs to look like a supermodel” crowd. Certainly, height and other health concerns would be a factor. Someone who weighs 250 lbs at 5 feet tall is in just as bad shape as someone who is 6 feet tall and 350 lbs.

The true point is… the surgery is for those whose obesity puts them at serious risk of death or total incapacitation, and who can not lose the weight by other means.

The fact that, by definition, the people who get this surgery legitimately are in poor health doesn’t help either. Common complications of obesity, like breathing problems and diabetes, would put a person at greater risk for any surgery. It’s not just the surgeon, but the anethestist, the nurses, the after care… they all have to work together for such major surgery.

25

I’ve had Roux-En-Y surgery (I’m just a month over one year post-op) and I’d be happy to answer any questions anyone might have, if it’ll help shed some light. Fire away and I’ll do the best of my ability.

That is, if anyone’s interested. If not, please ignore this post and I’ll simply go back to lurking.

26

I have known 3 women that have had this surgery, one of them DIED from complications, one gained all the weight back and more, and the other has gone back to the weight she was before the surgery.

27

Hopefool, there’s actually been a thread on this topic and perhaps you could revive it - I think the OP hasn’t been on the boards in a while. If you’ve been lurking a while, you’ll recognize that it’s in a pretty common form for us:

Ask the Bariatric (weight loss) surgery Guy

28

Thanks OxyMoron. I’ll do that. :slight_smile:

29

I didn’t take it as being over the top at all. You have a good grasp of the situation and don’t seem to be one of those people who think all the “lazy, fat people are taking the easy way out”. I just wanted to clear up the “death rate” issue. You’re absolutely right about being unhealthy to begin with, too. Someone who is 500 pounds will have a higher risk of death and complications than someone who is my size (I’m considered a lightweight–go figure! :eek: )And that’s not to say I think I’ll be fine, because I don’t know one person who’s decided to have surgery that HASN’T contemplated the possibility of death. It just shows how desperate we are to have an opportunity to gain this tool and possibly turn our lives around and be healthier.

Hopefool, congratulations! I hope it’s going well so far. That’s not an easy decision to make. I should know, since I’m trying to decide myself. I’m about 98% sure I want to do it. Having the psych evaluation will hopefully help to pinpoint some of the emotional issues of going through with surgery and how my lifestyle will change after.

I’ll check out that link, too. Thanks, Oxymoron.

30

I wanted to post a link to a website that has been incredibly helpful to me in making my decision. There is so much information, that I feel like I could perform the surgery now! Read the profiles and look at the before and after pictures. The stories are inspiring and the results are amazing. There’s a good mix of people. It’s not only people who are happy with the decision they made, but people with bad experiences, too. And most keep a pretty detailed log of everything from the consult with the surgeon to several years post-op.

Obesityhelp.com

31

So this is a “It’s his fault he is fat” thread?

I presume you all also go in for “It’s his fault he has AIDS?”

Just wondering. I hope tit woks out for AR. It might give him a longer life.

32

Not from what I can see - it looks like a “NBC, please don’t present this as a huge triumph of the human spirit, nor promote it as a quickfix cure-all” thread to me.

33

Exactly! And I hate that it’s being touted as such. I don’t want it to appear that everyone who makes this very serious decision is in it because it’s the new fad or because some annoying celebrity did it. It’s not like copying Jennifer Aniston’s hairstyle, it’s a major lifestyle change that is now going to have an enormous backlash. Whenever there is something the media builds up (a la stories on Carnie Wilson, Al Roker, etc.), they tear down.

34

It does take courage to have the surgery! I can’t imagine anyone who would look at the death rate from complications (1 out of every 100) who would not be frightened! It is a choice that needs careful and thorough research of the various procedures and the doctors who preform them.

Yes, you can gain all of the weight back. The only person that I have known who did that was, ironically, a psychiatrist. I am just guessing, but I suspect that she was compulsive enough to stretch her stomach out again.

I had the the RNY procedure done on Fat Tuesday of 1998. I was in intensive care for the night. The pain was pure hell! I lived on baby food, juice, and broth for six weeks. Gradually I added regular food to my diet.

Prior to surgery, I had planned to visit Washington, D.C. My husband was going to push me in a wheel chair. By the time I got to D.C. after the surgery, I was able to walk up all of the steps to the Lincoln Memorial without using a handrail or cane and without stopping. If you’ve never been morbidly obese, you can’t imagine how I felt at that moment.

I don’t “feel” any different inside. I just get full a lot faster and, most importantly, I don’t think about eating that often. Yes, I actually forget to eat. When I started enjoying Irish Creme a little too often, I gained twenty pounds. I only drink it on holidays now and I have not gained any more back. I weigh half of what I used to. If I exercised some, I’m sure that I would lose that twenty pounds easily. At least now I CAN exercise!

The times that I have eaten too much too quickly, there has been hell to pay. For about an hour, I feel like I am having a heart attack.

It is the best thing that I have ever done for myself. My health has improved enormously. I no longer sleep in a chair. I no longer have to carry a combination cane/chair every where I go. I can tie a knot on the top of my shoes. I can kiss and make love at the same time. I can take walks in the woods with my grandchildren.

After my success, two of my colleagues have had the same surgery. All of us have done well.

But anyone who says that it doesn’t take courage hasn’t had the same surgery that I have or hasn’t been aware of the possible consequences.

35

Oops! I forgot. I have found several websites doing a search for “Al Roker” exercise and he works out in a gym.

I’m just curious about why some of you seem to resent his success. Since so many people are morbidly obese, I am certain that many people are interested in how he has done it.

Just remember that the causes of obesity are not fully understood, so snap judgments like “lack of will power” or “laziness” are foolish.

Those of you who have lost weight in other ways and maintained it, I admire you. But not everyone can do it that way.

36

Excellent post Broomstick. Very informative.

This:

never even occured to me before.

37

Zoe, it sounds like you were an ideal candidate for the surgery. When obesity has reached a point where you can no longer participate in the simplest every day activities, when you are unquestionably handicapped, when your health is immediately threatened by real illness and infirmity brought on by the weight, then surgery is an understandable option. It is a desperate and dangerous act to save the life of a desperate person that cannot save their own.

However, I haven’t seen or heard any evidence that Al Roker fit that description. He was fat, yes. It wasn’t good for his health, yes. But he was hardly living the kind of life you describe. Ditto for the increasing numbers of fat people who turning to the surgery more and more.

As you well know, this surgery is not a walk in the park. It’s not a minor thing, either initially, or long term. Rewiring your guts is an alarming, dangerous thing to do to oneself. The long terms consequences still are not known. It doesn’t even necessarily effect a permanent solution for everyone, there are many cases of people who have not managed to conquer their food addiction and over time manage to defeat the surgery and get fat again anyway.

For too many people, it is a quick fix cop out that ignores all the other issues surrounding their obesity. And while it’s up to each person to cop out or not, it is very disturbing to see the surgery played up in the media as the magic answer, when any decent doctor will tell you that it should be considered only as a last resort in the face of overwhelming disease and infirmity.

I think Carnie Wilson is a better public example of who the surgery is for. She was barely 30 or so and her heart was starting to go, she couldn’t sleep properly, she had a ton of health problems, and she just kept getting bigger. If she hadn’t done it, she would have almost certainly been dead before 40.

(And I say all this as a morbidly obese person who completely understands the appeal. If it had been as common when I was 20 I might actually have considered it, and what’s funny about that is that I was much, much thinner when I was 20.)

38

You’re absolutely right. You are presuming. I see that in your sig you ask if there are any children in need. Do you not care about adults? Do you hate adults? Read the OP again and try and find exactly where it was that you projected your own sensitivities.

39

Morbidly obese is defined as 100 lbs or more overweight.

Morbid. Ly. Obese.

So, if Al Roker was 150 lbs overweight, then yes, this surgery was designed just for him. You don’t have to be 500 lbs in a wheelchair to use this surgery as a tool to regain your life. When you’re so fat you have trouble wiping your ass, its time to get help.

I had this surgery on December 4th. Let me tell you something. This was not a difficult decision for me to make. I knew that while I’m in relatively good health now, in 10 years I’d be a diabetic and have heart disease (among other health related problems) and having this surgery then would be much more complicated. Why should I wait 10 years until I have those problems, when I see them coming now? Why should I be miserable for the next 10 years - just to make you feel like I really ‘needed’ the surgery?

What gives a person (fat or thin) the right to judge someone who makes this decision for themselves? You have no idea what I’ve gone through to lose weight. You have no idea how I feel physically or mentally. So how 'bout you keep your misconceptions about fat people and why they choose to do this for themselves to yourself?

I’d tell you that you can kiss my ass, but there’s still quite a lot of it and you’d be there all day. Pack a lunch.

40

Nobody “resents” the fact that he had the surgery. Read the OP again.

What we resent is the fact that he’s going around acting as though he finished some kind of long-term test of “willpower and courage”, when all he did was have surgery. If he had actually spent a year or two dieting and had lost a huge amount of weight, now that we would respect.

Also, we resent the fact that, unlike Carnie Wilson, who is vocal about the need for a change in lifestyle and eating habits, he seems to be spreading the message that he hasn’t changed a thing, that he can still eat anything he wants. However, one of the first things you learn about this kind of surgery is that if you overeat, you get extremely nauseated. He doesn’t seem to be mentioning that, at all. Carnie Wilson, OTOH, did.

And Al Roker has a lot more higher public profile than Carnie Wilson, so we resent the fact that a lot more people are going to hear his message, that the surgery is a snap, that just like that you can lose massive amounts of weight, that you don’t have to change your eating habits afterwards–and that more people will opt for this surgery out of some misguided expectations of a “miracle cure”.

A lot more people watched Al Roker tell Jane Pauley that he can now eat anything he wants than read that interview with Carnie Wilson that I linked to, where she talks about putting salt all over her dessert after she eats one bite.

IMO this Pit thread is fully merited.