carlou72

Hi all. I am 35, female, and have had a binge eating problem for years. I must say, I feel lucky that it has never gotten me heavier than 190, but I currently weigh 170 and am completely miserable with my utter lack of ability to control the sheer volume of food I gorge myself on. I fit all the criteria for a binge eating disorder, and I am just tipping the body mass index at "obese", but am I "obese" enough for a surgeon to perform this procedure on me? Do they even DO lap band surgery to help binge eating disorder sufferers? I truly have tried everything, but it seems to me the only thing that would work to keep me from bingeing is the simple inability to fit that much food in my stomach. Heck, I've even researched jaw wiring, and there is a dentist not too far from me who does it, but I can't go through life with my jaws wired shut, you know? I realize most people who go through with this are much heavier than I am, and to be honest, I am a size 12/14 - just slightly bigger than the American "average", but I really am looking more for something to control my eating, and any weight loss would just be a pleasant side effect. Don't get me wrong, I want to lose weight too, but I just feel that a physiological inability to binge would benefit me physically as well as emotionally. So... anyone have any input? Thanks, Christina

MacMadame, thanks for your words of wisdom. Your blog is very interesting - I'm sure a lot of people are curious about other's journeys to lap band surgery, so keep it up! I'll be watching and waiting to see how it all unfolds. Maggie, that is great information you provided about surgeons willing to band a BMI of 30. I will do some research, but I have a feeling it's not in the cards for me, as my husband is none too keen on the idea of "unnecessary" surgery. He supports me in my efforts at weight loss and he's very kind and understanding about the way I look and my eating disorder, but he really prefers I exhaust all other options before doing something drastic. And since he'd be the one paying for it, it really is his call. There is an eating disorders clinic about 20 miles from us, so I have made a commitment to call them and see what they can do for me. Congratulations on your weight loss and I wish you the best. Oh, and I plan to check out the info you provided, just to keep it up my sleeve if my circumstances change. Thank you so much for answering my question! Take care, all.

After reading all the replies I got, it sounds to me like even if I did still think it's a good idea for me, I would be turned down by both U.S. and Mexican surgeons alike. I have no health problems at this time, and have maintained my weight for over 2.5 years - even had a baby in between and lost all of the 18 pounds I gained within 3 months of delivery. Hmmm... maybe my body just REALLY wants to stay at 170, and it schedules my binges to coincide with any weight loss it sees as threatening its hold on that magic number. Odd way of looking at it, I know, but it really does seem that I can be really good on a diet and lose a few pounds, but 2 weeks later I am gorging myself and am back to 170 again. Oh, and I never purge, and I can throw down some SERIOUS calories (bag of chips, box of donut holes, a pint of Ben and Jerry's) - yet I never go past 172. Sooo... that leads me to believe my body has a mind of it's own when it comes to weight. It is a perfect weight-maintaining machine! Too bad it's not the weight I want. Besides, I really haven't explored the whole psych-side of my issue. No doubt there is something dark and sinister waiting to be revealed in my past that will explain my eating disorder - but will revealing that really make it easier for me to learn not to binge? That was why I thought the lap band would be a good kick-start - since exploring my past will take years, but why not have a little help in the meantime? Again, thank you all for your insightful, varied, and caring advice. I wish you all the best of luck with your own situations, and I hope I won't be back telling you all I'm a BMI of 40 with sleep apnea and diabetes in a few years! Cheers!:rolleyes2: