I found it on the first page of the "Foreword" to The Patient's Guide To
Weight Loss Surgery, by April Hochstrasser, PhD. My review copy had just
arrived, and I was interested to note that both the author and the writer of
the foreword (Tacoma bariatric surgeon S. Ross Fox, M.D., a former President
of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery) were (relative) locals. I
became even more excited when I read Dr. Fox, in a few simple sentences,
tell The Bottom Line. He wrote:



"A great majority of Americans who are heavy are that way primarily because
of their genetics. It is true that they must consume the calories to put on
the weight, but their biology asks them to do that. When their excess
weight reaches around 100 pounds, it is virtually impossible for them to get
the weight off and keep it off without drastic interventions. The NIH has
looked at various therapies for the treatment of morbid obesity (100 pounds
or more overweight) on several occasions in the past 30 years, and has found
that diet, exercise, behavior modification, and other treatments are
virtually never successful. The NIH has stated that the most effective
therapy for long-term significant weight loss in morbidly obese patients is
surgery. This sentiment has been echoed by Dr. D. Everett Koop, the
American Academy of Science, and other prestigious scientific groups."
(underlining added)



This is the most succinct and powerful statement of these facts I've yet
found. It corresponds completely to my own experience, first as a morbidly
obese man and then as a WLS patient. At some point, my accumulated obesity
reached a point of Critical Mass and nothing I could do - nutritional
education, improved eating, exercise - could make much of a difference.
That's when, without other meaningful or realistic options, I turned to
Weight Loss Surgery. And my WLS gave me the tools I needed to take off my
excess weight. Today, a year and a half after my surgery, I struggle more
to avoid losing additional weight than I do to maintain my present 180 lb.
weight loss.



Every week I talk or correspond with at least twenty fellow WLSers who
report feelings of guilt, shame, humiliation or despair because they had or
have to resort to such drastic measures - Weight Loss Surgery - to lose
their excess weight. These are people who blame themselves, as I used to
do, for their powerlessness over food, eating and weight. Dr. Ross'
paragraph should be required reading for anyone considering, or pursuing,
bariatric surgery. I intend to share it with clients I am coaching and
folks who ask for my advice. I encourage you to share it with others in
your circle. There's no need or reason why morbidly obese people should
continue beating themselves up over something that is NOW beyond their
control and that insidiously destroys their hope and health.



There's nothing more I can add. If you are your own Hanging Judge, I
encourage you to memorize Dr. Fox's Bottom Line, or carry a copy around with
you. If you're sabotaging your success or limiting your options out of a
misguided sense of guilt, at least be clear that YOU'RE making that choice.



Glenn Goldberg, VBG 10.24.02, 360/181









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