Negative reaction to WLS

So I mention to a few friends at work that I am having WLS.  Most are supportive.  But, this one guy asked me today have I tried diet and exercise.  Um yeah.  Then he said, it sure doesn't look like you have.  He procedued to lecture me about using the same discipline I use for my profession and apply it to dieting and exercising to lose weight.   And that I should seek therapy to work out any issues I have.  Why are people so negative when you mention WLS to them?

Because, to a lot of people, it's cheating. It's the easy way out of having no will power. I don't like to tell people that I don't know very well that I've had WLS because suddenly my efforts and success are minimized to near nothingness. "you've lost so much weight! That's great, how'd you do it??"  "I had WLS last year and follow an eating program for it"   "Oh." The "oh" is always said in the tone of "oh, i thought you'd actually put some effort into it, my mistake".  They may as well stick a "so you took the easy way out" on the end of that "oh". just my .02

I think you are confusing negativity, in this case anyway, with ignorance and stupidity.  Obviously this man knows nothing about morbid obesity.  If you did as he said and applied yourself vigorously and wholeheartedly to diet and exercise there would be a 98% chance that you would fail, that gives you just a 2% chance of beating obesity with diet and exercise alone.  Once a person reaches the status of being MO diet and exercise are not effective.  If it is not a case of ignorance and this man knows everything about the odds, perhaps he has a gambling problem?   I have found that most people I choose to tell are positive about it because they care about me and they know I would not go into anything blindly.  Arm yourself with good information and you will always have a comeback. Dad: you are not big enough for this surgery me: how big would you like me to get son: why don't you diet and exercise me: I have, all my life - now that I am mo I have a 2% chance of beating it before my comorbidities kill me

So when this guy has a heart attack, I'm sure he will choose the diet and exercise routine.  Having that stent placed is just taking the easy way out!

I did a powerpoint presentation in my class last night on WLS and why i choose the DS and what i had to do to get it. At the end i asked if anyone had questions and a lot of people had some good ones but there is always one skinny person who asked "why surgery?" and i told her that when i was in my lower 200's MAYBE i could of done it with diet and exersice alone, but in my mid 300's there is no way i'll be able to with this tool and then i went on to explain how it is only a tool (the best one out there mind you) but it is still a tool, it isn't cheating or taking the easy way out.  I wish now i would of brought up the genitic factors of why i'm obese, but skinny people don't understand those either.  I try to forgive them because they have not suffured through this and most likely no one they love has, so they don't have a refrance to go to.  PS. only i would tell a room full of people i weight 340 pounds!!! i can't believe i did that. I make it look so easy and like it doesn't matter to me, when in fact its so embaressing to me and underneath it all it hurts so much, but i can still go up there and say the most personal stuff to a room full of strangers!

Jenny, I'd love to see your presentation if your up to sharing.  Do you have it online anyplace or can you upload to a free file site like one of these?   Free File Hosting Thanks!! Tom

I don't have it online anywhere right now. I'll check out the free file hosting when i get home, otherwise i'd be happy to email it to you. pm me if you want. I don't think it's all that exciting though :)

me too, I wanna see

send me a pm with your email.

I know what you mean about actually saying the numbers out loud. I know my husband had no idea that my weight actually started with a FOUR before he went to an appointment with me and they screamed it across the place. I was like.. wow, there goes that illusion. I said something about it in front of my mom over the weekend.. she goes.. "I can't believe you have let yourself go like that".  *blink blink*. Wow, I will forgive her because she is getting old and perhaps senility is setting in.