Weight Loss Survey Responses

The following are Michael M.'s responses to the Weight Loss Survey:

Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.

Obese since 5 years of age. Occasional periods of successful loss.Dieting since age 13. Always regained original loss plus more. Successful with Atkins, Weight Watchers, rice diet, Liquid proteinsparing fast, Powdered protein sparing fast, Pritikin, countless others. Success became harder to achieve. More or less gave up 15 years ago. Then all the comorbities kicked in, and I knew I would probably die within a few years. Always viewed bariatric surgery as an admission of total failure, but was set staight be an acquaintance last summer. Sought out Dr. Marcus, and the rest is history.

What was (is) the worst thing about being overweight?

My social life dwindled. I'm single, but stopeed dating 15 years ago. My sex life was nil. I stopped socializing with friends. My job (as a college professor) suffered as I became less able to interact with others. After I retired, I traveled, but that was quite uncomfortable-plane seats barely fit a normal sized person. The real scare was my health and the threat of Diabetes consequences. I couldn't control my blood numbers, and the future looked quite bleak.

How did you first find out about bariatric surgery and what were your initial impressions of it?

Heard about it years ago. But back in the 80's it sounded like a mideavel toture. Only in the last year did I really give it much consideration, as all else had failed me.And the medical community doesn't seem to be any closer to a non-surgical cure.