Remember that one blog post I wrote...a long time ago...that said I have very strong opinions and hope you all don't get offended by them? Well this is going to be one of those posts, so you've been forewarned.
Here's what's on my mind. Stomach surgery. I'm talking gastric bypass, lap-band, basically anything that includes using a knife to decrease your stomach size. It's not that I'm anti-surgery (nursing student, remember?) I think surgery is absolutely useful and incredibly beneficial to many people. However, stomach surgery is the one that makes me cringe a little bit and I'll tell you why. I think it's becoming over-recommended and over-used as a weapon in the war against obesity. Exhibit A: I had just finished a work out and was getting cleaned up. On the TV in the locker room, was a news report promoting stomach surgery for adolescents. Wait, wait, wait, back up. Is a news channel actually encouraging obese adolescents to get stomach surgery rather than use diet and exercise? I did a double take. Unfortunately, my ears had not deceived me.
So my issue with the stomach surgery thing is that it all comes back to a focus on weight. Teenage girls are tortured in high school if they are too heavy. Overweight adults have health issues that doctors all attribute back to their BMI and obesity. The recommendation? Lose weight. So some people turn to gastric surgery. It makes sense when you think about it initially. Cut down your stomach size so you eat less and your body learns to fill up on less food. It's a great concept and it does work. But what are we telling people when we promote this idea? We're telling them that overweight equals unhealthy. So to lose weight, get surgery done. But will that fix a high cholesterol level? Will that lower your blood pressure or get rid of your diabetes? Will that get you exercising every day?
Folks, obesity here is not the issue. Overweight does not equal unhealthy. I knew plenty of overweight people in my college days that exercised way more than I did and ate a much healthier diet (back in those dark days, my diet consisted of chocolate bread and Velveeta mac n' cheese. Yes, there is such a thing as chocolate bread). But I was blessed with a super high metabolism, so I could eat whatever I wanted. But just because I was skinnier, did not mean I was healthier. Yet, many people do not deem that as true. We are a particularly superficial society that has become notorious for judging people's health based on their weight and appearance. So obese people get called unhealthy by others who have no idea what their lifestyle is actually like. And doctors resort to using obesity as an explanation for health conditions. Now, don't get me wrong, obesity is a risk factor for nearly every chronic condition I can think of. But it is the weight that is the problem? I think it has to do more with the food you are eating, the exercising (or lack of) you are getting, and the amount of fat your body has.
So when doctors recommend surgery as a solution for weight loss, they are ignoring the major issue- that it is the lifestyle that matters, not the BMI! As a society, we need to change the view that "obesity=unhealthy and bad". We need to embrace that people can be healthy at different sizes, even bigger sizes. If you are eating a healthy diet (low fat, moderate amount of carbs, tons of produce) and exercising daily, no one has a right to tell you that you are unhealthy. And I think that it all starts with health professionals. If doctors and nurses have the mindset that all overweight patients are unhealthy, it only reinforces the negative connotation society has with obesity. And if surgery for weight-loss is what they're recommending, they are neglecting to solve the underlying need for lifestyle change.
So while gastric surgery has been incredibly beneficial for people who want to lose weight, I think it sends the wrong idea to our nation- that as long as you lose weight (no matter how), you can be healthy. And that is simply the wrong approach.
Now of course, obesity is a serious issue in the US right now. And often it does mean that there are behavioral and lifestyle changes that need to happen. I'm not trying to say that there shouldn't be a war on obesity. I'm trying to say that let's not lose focus on what the actual issues are- unhealthy diets and lack of exercise. Just by losing weight, you do not fix those problems. And I am just as guilty as the next guy for judging people based on outward appearance. Sometimes I fight the war on obesity too much, rather than the war on unhealthy lifestyles. But in my career, I am attempting to change my ways and solve the issue underlying the weight.
I realize I'm very strongly opinionated about this, but I would still love to hear your opinion and thoughts. Are we as a society stressing the importance of weight loss too much, to the point of using surgery as a quick fix? Have we forgotten what unhealthy really means? Are we too judgmental of others based on how they look? Please, don't be intimidated by me. Share your two cents!
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