How can this fail?

[Sophie248 0]

I've reviewed the information provided by my surgeon re: results of Lap Band. In the study it shows the following:

Excess weight loss at 3 yrs

gained - 2%

No change - 5%

Lost at least 25% of excess lbs - 62%

Lost at least 33% of excess lbs - 52%

Lost at least 50% of excess lbs - 22%

Lost at least 75% of excess lbs - 10%

These stats aren't very encouraging to me. I would like to see a little better numbers before putting myself through major surgery. Does anyone have insight on why these stats are low re: loss of the majority of excess lbs?

[Jachut 487]

You have to take account of all the people who never get a fill, who have complications such as erosion and slippage and lose their bands, all the people who have metabolic problems such as PCOS or the like that really make losing difficult, people that may be unable to exercise or even be active for whatever reason, people that are older and dont lose as well, people that just arent compliant at all with eating well and exercising. Many people who are severely obese are really damaged for want of a better word in their attitude towards their eating and health and just dont understand, cant or wont follow what they need to do to lose weight.

Particularly in a country like America, obesity is rife because of the nation's poor eating culture as a whole. Processed foods abound, quantities are enormous - did you know that an American small serve of McDonalds fries is equivalent to the large in Australia? Nor do those simply enormous buckets of soft drink exist here. Stuff like that, means people just do not have access to reasonable information and role models for good eating habits. It can be really really hard to change your life for the better in the face of those sorts of obstacles.

If every person was able to follow bandster rules to the letter (whether they be Protein first like they are in the states or not) then the statistics would be a lot better.

You dont have to be a negative statistic, if you educate yourself and make a commitment to really and truly change your lifestyle, to do what you know you should and work with the band you'll blow those depressing stats out of the Water.

[StephC 0]

I don't think those are so horrible results. Have you looked at the gastric bypass results? After 3 years when the lap banders are still slowly losing weight the bypass patients are gaining it back. I am assuming you have health problems because you'll never get insurance approvel with a bmi of 35 otherwise. There are many health reasons to have the band even if it isn't a huge weight loss. I know my cousin said it has helped her get her diabetes under control just by eating healthier. She isn't concerned about the weight lose as much as the health benefits.

I just read an article about what to expect and how to change our way of thinking, and our goals. So do you want to weigh what you did in high school? It might be an unrealistic goal for a woman who is in her 30's and had a couple children...

If I lose 33% of my weight in the next 3 years I will be a happy lady. Because hey - its not 33% gained!

[Wheetsin 714]

These stats aren't very encouraging to me. I would like to see a little better numbers before putting myself through major surgery. Does anyone have insight on why these stats are low re: loss of the majority of excess lbs?

Part of it is what the numbers include, and part of it is the patients themselves. It's very easy to fail on the lap-band. All you have to do is not use it correctly. The numbers you're seeing reflect those who used it correctly, and those who did not.

[waterlily1072 5]

I would have gained weight in the last 6 mo instead I've lost. I read somewhere that only 2% of significantly overweight people will ever lose the weight and keep it off for more than a year. 2% vs the statistics you stated are eye opening to say the least. Ask yourself how much are you willing to gain before you finally do something significant with your weightloss journey? How many diets have you tried and failed on? Why have they failed? I spent 2yrs conemplating surgery before deciding and then almost another year before actually going through the steps to make it happen. In those 3yrs I gained approximately 60lbs! We all have our own journey and we all make our own choices and surgery isn't the right choice for everyone. Just remember, statistics aren't everything, they, by nature are very deceptive. If you can lose the weight without suregery that's great go for it, but if you can't then don't let the stats scare you away from surgery.

[StephC 0]

Hey you know WE can change those statistics!