Why do people bash weight loss surgery?

[her1981 448]

I don't understand why people get so "upset" whenever wls is mentioned/offered as a tool to aid in weight loss. "Oh, you don't need that. You just need to....." Or once you mention that you've had wls, you are no longer a credible support to people losing the "natural" way.

Overall, I find that people are generally misinformed about the different procedures and supposedly "everyone" they know who had the surgery has either gained all the weight back or died...Everyone is suddenly an expert on the ills of weight loss surgery. Don't they realize that there are other circumstances that could have led to their deaths? Why blame WLS?

If it's not what you would do, fine; but why not be supportive if a person decides it's right for them? I think it's interesting that when a person has cancer, no one shames them for getting chemo or radiation. This is exactly why I don't tell everyone. It's like you have the freaking plague.

So annoying! Rant over....

[JamieLogical 8,710]

I agree wholeheartedly. The stigma against WLS is not only frustrating, it's dangerous! There are so many people who could benefit from WLS (as it could literally save their lives!) that are deterred by the negative stigma it has. I think it all comes back to society's belief that fat=lazy or weak-willed. They are ignorant and uneducated about the process and what all surgery entails and consider it the "easy way out". Which is ridiculous in that it is in NO WAY easy. And also ridiculous in the implication that "easy" equals "bad".

[Bufflehead 6,358]

Right? Imagine there were a surgery (say, a brain surgery) that could cure 75% of alcoholics and opiate addicts and it had a lower risk of complications than knee replacement. People would be singing the praises of that surgery, and people who needed it would be encouraged to get it. There wouldn't be a huge chorus of naysayers saying things like "why don't you just kick your addiction the natural way?" and "you just need to go to more AA meetings" and "you just need to work on will power and drinking less" or "my Aunt Mabel's hairdresser had that surgery and he died! Plus I know of one other person who had it, and she stopped using oxycontin but she looks kind of sickly. Why don't you just stop shooting up instead?" or "you can be healthy and be an alcoholic too! Health at any drinking rate is fine! Just try to cut back if you find you've been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. You don't need surgery, you only think you do because our society shames alcoholics and drug addicts!"

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

Human beings aren't interested in complex questions that have complex answers.

They prefer simple questions and simple answers.

(I could talk a lot more about this, but no one would be interested.)

[her1981 448]

I just get sick of debating with people why it's a viable solution.

[applejenn 173]

That's why I am always happy to educate. People try to talk me out of surgery all the time.

I look for the nay Sayers so I can speak my mind

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

[Christinamo7 4,042]

I think there are a lot of reasons.

1. people who ought to consider surgery but are afraid - and who may be jealous of the success they see, or fearful that it wouldn't work anyway because nothing else does.

2. people who ought to have surgery but for one reason or another can't afford it or are not medically eligible due to other problems and may be jealous.

3. people who do not struggle with their weight and honestly have no idea how difficult and DIFFERENT the process is for those who have put on weight and may have medication or other issues that work against them. they mean well - but they are just not capable of understanding why someone would need surgery.

I do not hide my WLS or that I am trying to loose weight, but the trigger for me was diabetes, and I tell people I had surgery to try to reverse diabetes, and that tends to shut them up, because for some WARPED reason they see diabetes as a disease, and they do not see obesity as a disease but rather as laziness.

[toastedink 115]

I've noticed it usually comes from people who have never had a weight problem. I always tell people it's a tool and not a fix.

Edited May 10, 2016 by toastedink

[her1981 448]

@@toastedink I catch the most flack from people with weight problems in weight loss support groups! It's THE MOST frustrating and baffling thing!

[Sophie74656 1,572]

Two main factors, one, people who have never had to struggle with their weight, and two, they don't know anything about the surgery

There is a very common belief that it is a magic wand, that you will have surgery and magically loose weight and never have to worry about your weight again, that it will be easy, that it's insulting to people who do it the "right" way by pure diet and exercise

pisses me off

[theantichick 2,204]

Everyone who's tried to talk me out has had moderate weight loss success the "natural" way, and in my circle of friends and family we have a couple of people who sabotaged their surgeries (lap-band), a couple very serious complications post-op (also lap-band), and a bunch of medical issues that people attribute to the surgery even though they're likely not connected. (Or if the surgery contributed, it was in addition to a bunch of other factors.)

[Christinamo7 4,042]

Two main factors, one, people who have never had to struggle with their weight, and two, they don't know anything about the surgery

There is a very common belief that it is a magic wand, that you will have surgery and magically loose weight and never have to worry about your weight again, that it will be easy, that it's insulting to people who do it the "right" way by pure diet and exercise

pisses me off

what drives me crazy about this attitude is that if there WAS an easy way - if such a thing existed, of course we would ALL trot over to the easy way. it's human nature. of course we would. easy is good.

if they would just stop and consider it for two minutes they would know that is ridiculous.

[Sophie74656 1,572]

what drives me crazy about this attitude is that if there WAS an easy way - if such a thing existed, of course we would ALL trot over to the easy way. it's human nature. of course we would. easy is good.

Two main factors, one, people who have never had to struggle with their weight, and two, they don't know anything about the surgery

There is a very common belief that it is a magic wand, that you will have surgery and magically loose weight and never have to worry about your weight again, that it will be easy, that it's insulting to people who do it the "right" way by pure diet and exercise

pisses me off

if they would just stop and consider it for two minutes they would know that is ridiculous.

My mom used to send me articles about pills and the latest fad diets and I kept telling her, don't you think if you could just take a pill and loose weight that there would be no more overweight people? And I'm pretty sure if there was a pill that actually worked it would be all over the news

[LipstickLady 25,682]

Becuz their stoopid.


People are afraid of things they don't understand but too lazy to do little research beyond what they heard about what happened to their neighbor's mother's best friend's boyfriend's cousin's veterinary assist. Via Facebook.< br />

[JamieLogical 8,710]

Becuz their stoopid.

People are afraid of things they don't understand but too lazy to do little research beyond what they heard about what happened to their neighbor's mother's best friend's boyfriend's cousin's veterinary assist. Via Facebook.< /p>

If you think people have opinions about WLS... just try telling them you are having WLS in Mexico! That really gets their heads spinning!