TV COMMENTATOR AND FORMER NFL OFFENSIVE LINEMAN SHARES HIS WLS JOURNEY

Interview with Jamie D. Dukes

After several years of playing college football and cherishing the dream of making it to the National Football League, in the spring of 1986, Jamie Dukes was accepted to the NFL as the offensive lineman for the Atlanta Falcons. “Because I was smaller than some as far as stature, teams hesitated to draft me, so I signed as a free agent.” Jamie said. “I was an All-American and I knew that I was good enough, so I never gave up on my dream.” Right out of college and barely 22 years old, Jamie felt a deep sense of pride and accomplishment.

Over two decades later and after a series of victories on the field, Jamie experienced a similar feeling of achievement, this time, outside the football field. “I lost about 90 pounds less than a year after undergoing gastric banding surgery in July of 2008,” he said. “My friend and teammate, Deion Sanders, told me that if my head got any smaller, it would fall through my collar. I watched some of the tapes of our previous shows, and I was amazed at my own transformation. That was a pivotal moment in my life.” Recently, Jamie shared some of the highlights of his weight loss journey as well as his ongoing endeavors to bring awareness about obesity with ObesityHelp Inc.

OH: How did your weight problem begin?

JD: I was always a big kid, but I was also very athletic. My mom has been on the heavy side and my dad was a stalky guy, but neither of them was obese. As an offensive lineman for the Atlanta Falcons, I was required to be big and wide, so I used to carry a lot of weight. I was 44 when I had gastric banding surgery, and I was beginning to have health issues because of my excess weight. But worse than that was the fact that some of my teammates died of obesity-related health problems before reaching 44. I had known for many years that I had to lose weight; the question was how far I was willing to go to achieve that, and I had done the traditional diet programs that most people do many times. So I realized that it was time to take a look at different options and opportunities, and I chose bariatric surgery.

OH: How did you learn about bariatric surgery?

JD: I had learned about gastric bypass and gastric banding, and to be honest, I was prepared to do either one; I knew some people who had the gastric bypass and I knew some people who had undergone the gastric banding surgery. So from a research standpoint, I was familiar with the different alternatives that were out there. And I was prepared to undergo the bypass surgery, if the band didn’t work for me. I certainly realized that the bypass surgery was going a step further and that it was more invasive than gastric banding. So I didn’t have any qualms about making the decision to have bariatric surgery. Ultimately, I decided to undergo gastric banding surgery.

OH: How was your surgery?

JD: It was great. I will say, however, that I wasn’t crazy about the liquid diet before and after the surgery. But the procedure altogether was fantastic. Dr. Christopher Hart did a great job. Shortly after my surgery, I was back on the treadmill and doing some limited walking and so forth. I didn’t have any complications. So I have been very satisfied and very pleased with the results thus far.

OH: Did you have to bide by a certain diet program or an exercise regimen prior to your surgery?

JD: Not really. Dr. Hart encouraged me to lose as much weight as I could before the surgery. I was put on the liquid protein diet ten days prior to the actual procedure, and I had to stay on that diet seven days after the surgery. The diet basically consists of protein-rich soups and shakes.

OH: How has the surgery changed your personal lifestyle?

JD: Well, my diet had always been fairly healthy. As a family, we eat plenty of salads and lean protein and so forth. My main problem was the quantity of what I ate and the portion size. I was never an emotional eater either; I had to consume a lot of food in order to be fit for my job on the field. I consumed a 40-ounce portion as opposed to a 5- or 10-ounce portion. So now, not only do I eat less, but the slow digestion of food in my stomach sends a message to my brain that I have had enough and that I am full, so I feel satisfied with smaller portions and don’t crave food anymore.

OH: What role do your family and your friends play in your ongoing weight loss journey?

JD: My family, especially my wife, has been very supportive. Seeing my teammates die of obesity-related problems, I knew that I had to lose weight, if I wanted to live beyond age 44. My wife had little pet phrases that used to drive me crazy, but the reality was that she understood the problem, and she knew that I had to do something about the excess weight I was carrying. My family and friends have been very happy about the positive changes in my health. My daughter is really happy to see me healthy too.

OH: What does your current exercise regimen consist of?

JD: I generally work out about four to five times a week. I run on the treadmill about an hour and lift weights about three days a week. I try not to do a lot of weights because then I bulk up and start craving protein. So I have to be careful about balancing food and exercise.

OH: What are the challenges you face currently, if any? Do you have to lose more weight?

JD: Not really. Right now, I weigh about 295 pounds, and according to my doctor, my optimum weight is about 270, so I still have a few more pounds to lose. I was close to 400 pounds last year before the surgery. So I have lost about 90 pounds so far, which is really great.

OH: How did your partnership with Ethicon, Endo-Surgery, Inc., the maker of the REALIZE Band, came about?

JD: I saw two speeches: one by the former U.S. President, Bill Clinton, stressing the importance of service, and also President Obama’s ongoing message of community involvement and service motivated me to speak out. I have been involved in a number of charities, but at that point, I asked myself how I could get involved and help bring awareness about this particular issue that I felt passionate about. I’m a broadcaster by trade, so I am often asked about how I was able to lose the weight. I had my agent reach out to Ethicon and ask them if we can work together to create an initiative to help get the word out about obesity. I believe that until people go through this process, they don’t realize that making the decision to undergo bariatric surgery is far from ‘choosing the easy way out.’ There is a social stigma attached to obesity, and people who struggle with it are often looked down upon. The reality is that if you are diagnosed with cancer, it doesn’t matter how you get rid of it, but the mere fact that you get rid of the disease that is killing you. So for people to judge other people based on the fact that they chose bariatric surgery is somewhat silly and unfair. Being on television and having a public presence in that way, I figured talking about this issue would be my service.

OH: Did you talk about your decision publicly?

JD: Yes. I have done a number of TV and radio appearances where I talk about my journey. We are making an effort, so to speak, to create this movement and to bring this issue to the spotlight. Because a lot of the illnesses people are currently struggling with in America; heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, would not exist, if people weren’t obese. So if we effectively treat obesity and also make an effort to prevent it, we don’t even have to worry about these other illnesses that often result from it. I’m trying to be an effective advocate for this cause, to put obesity in a proper perspective.

OH: Are you a proponent of the REALIZE mySUCCESS™ program?

JD: Yes. Staying motivated after surgery can be one of the hardest parts of this whole weight loss journey. It's so easy to skip a day at the gym or eat the wrong thing, so I'm a fan of anything that helps people stay on track. You can keep a daily log of your activities and your diet, track your weight loss, and find recipes. Also, your doctor's office can have access to this information, so if they notice that for example you have a plateau, or you
are gaining weight, they can call you and offer help and professional advice. In that sense, the program is a great tool that keeps all the parties involved in communication. And you always know it's there if you need it. For me, the procedure has been a small component in this overall program that has helped me lose weight. The day-to-day challenges are having to exercise regularly and maintaining a healthy and balanced diet. So I refer to my band as one tool in my toolbox; there are several other tools I have to effectively use to achieve long-term success.

OH: What plans do you have for the future? Any books in the works?

JD: Yes, I have been working on a book, but it will be some time before it is completed and published. It will address different issues including ‘frenemies’ I have had to deal with in my own struggle with excess weight. By ‘frenemies’ I mean anyone who hasn’t been a positive influence in my weight loss journey, including my own inner voice that used to tell me to go ahead and eat that steak and lobster and cheesecake.

My goal is to continue this mission and wherever it takes me. I think that we are going to be successful and that the stars have aligned for our success. Many great organizations like the American Cancer Society or the American Heart Association are beginning to realize that cancer and heart disease are often caused by obesity, so they are becoming willing to form alliances that will ultimately help the communities. So what I’m hoping to do, with the help of Ethicon and others, is to bridge those relationships, where we all work together toward a common goal, to quantify what the problems are and find solutions.

Editors note: Jamie Dukes will be speaking at the ObesityHelp Chicago event. For more information, visit:

http://www.obesityhelp.com/events/uzone,events/action,event_details/event_id,3001/