on the news, yet! I think it was NBC, they showed this lady who had lost over 100 pounds with the gastric bypass, and they were promoting it right and left.

I find it so bizarre that NO ONE speaks out about the long term dangers of this bariatric surgery, yet all the nutrition "experts" talk about is the "unknown" long term effects of the Atkins diet.

My mother knows someone who had this surgery, and they are on 7 or 8 different medications and supplements they have to take for the rest of their life...and yet they think Atkins is dangerous.

Whew! Just had to vent...

Call me cynical but there isn't much money to be made from people eating the Atkins way..... which is not the case for bariatric surgery is it ?

Well, some people are making money on low carb products, but on a per person basis, I would have to eat a heckofalot of Atkins bars to pay for surgery like this.

What annoys me the most is that this surgery is an admission of defeat by our experts. Here's a recent discussion of diet and exercise by a doctor online:

Member question: I can't seem to lose weight by exercising and eating right. Do you recommend trying weight-loss supplements?


Mitchell: People who have trouble losing weight in spite of exercise and diet need to consider a couple of things:


First, is my metabolism normal? Your doctor can help answer this question. Having your thyroid tested is a simple way to make sure your metabolic rate is normal. Some centers also assess metabolic rate specifically. Ask your doctor for such a referral.
Secondly, as long as your metabolism is normal, you need to ask yourself, "Is my program as effective as it should be?" There is a significant tendency for all of us to overestimate the amount of exercise we perform and underestimate the amount of food we consume when we're not on specific plans. Reassessing your exercise program with a qualified trainer and reassessing your nutritional program with a qualified dietician is the way to go.

This is from WebMd!
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/72/81809.htm

Ah, so. In the second place, IT IS YOUR FAULT! You are screwing up!

It's this kind of thing that drives people to the surgeon...and you know, the surgery isn't necessarily permanent? They all admit that if the patient doesn't learn new eating habits and doesn't get into exercise, the weight comes back.

Gee, just like when you stop Atkins, the "weight comes back." Only with Atkins at least you have a working intestine.

My husband who is a Type 2 diabetic and his brother who was not diabetic both had more than a hundred pounds to lose. My husband's brother was up at about 430 lbs and opted to do bariatric surgery almost a year ago. He has since dropped to 250 lbs, but has also started to gain a few pounds back. He was a yo-yo Atkins dieter who lost 75 lbs years ago, then put it all back and then some.

However, he's very happy with his surgery--he used to have sleep apnea and had to sleep with a ventilator and now he's coaching little league football although he doesn't regularly exercise. But the jury is still out on what it will be like for him long term.

On the other hand, my husband who started at 360 lbs in March, has lost 48 lbs so far doing Atkins. He refused to consider bariatric surgery if there were any other options available. That's when I joined him on the diet as well. I think in the long run that my husband's choice was the better one although it's a bit slower. Hopefully it will take longer and last longer.

As you put it, at least he has a working intestine... not only that, but his blood sugar levels have come way down. He was on 5 medications, now he's on 1, and doing very well. He also regularly exercises. I think that he is having a total lifestyle change--that the new nutrition that he is learning about is sticking with him and he willingly opts for much better choices. For a guy who used to live on more than a six pack of Mountain Dew a day and bags of potato chips, he has really really turned his life around and hasn't cheated at all.

My husband was on the phone with his brother, and his brother was eating a plate of nachos... and my husband was thinking about all those carbs and how bad they were for his brother! He certainly doesn't begrudge him the tremendous weight loss, but I know he's glad he's doing it on his own.

It's so easy to carb load, and my husband's family has a strong thread of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. I have all three diseases in my family as well, so we really need to keep an eye on our children.

Hopefully we will turn this around.

To be honest, I have often wished, as I have struggled with weight issues all my life, that I could do something like a bariatric surgery or lap band and be done with it.

I like to eat too often and too much... but at least controlling the carbs is working for me.

My EX-wife had gastric bypass surgery and lost about 150lbs in about a years time. They even wanted her to be on the Jenny Jones show but she declined. The funny thing now that I think about it was she had to eat mostly meat and cheese with some veggies. Sounds alot like a low carb diet to me.

She had her lose skin removed and then decide that she was bored with eating the small portions and limited food choices. She has probally gain about 75lbs of it back in the last year. Looks like she wasted about $12,000 and who know what health consiquences she will have from having the surgery and then enlarging her stomach back to normal.

On the other hand my mother who was about the same weight started LCing about a year ago. She has lost over 90lbs and is still going strong. It is thru her success and my fathers that I decided to go on Atkins. I still have a way to go on my weight but my energy level is higher than it has been in years. I also look much skinner than when I weight 30lbs less because my stomach isnt bloated from carbs all the time. I really belive LC WOL is the way to go.
Rod