More Questions Answered:)

Last week I got a call from my cousin that I have not talked to for years! She called me because she was doing a school project on body image and she wanted me to answer some of her questions about how I see myself. I was really excited to answer her questions. They really got me thinking and I thought I would share them with you.


What made you decide to have the surgery? I had been thinking about doing the surgery for a few years. I did not feel it was the right time until now. About a year ago I met with my doctor to discuss it and he wanted me to do a 6 month supervised diet. Because I was not too successful with the diet, my doctor put in the referral for the surgery. I wanted to go through with the surgery because I wanted a "new start" to my life. I wanted to be able to do the things that "skinny" people do and also really wanted to be healthy. I recognized the consequences of obesity and wanted to take care of that before it got really bad.

How did your family and friends react to you having the surgery?/How did they react to your obesity? My family was very very supportive of me. I think mostly because my dad had the surgery and was successful. In reference to people reacting to me being overweight...my family was always just worried for me. My friends never had an issue with it,as far as I know. :)

Did you regard the surgery as necessary? If so, why? I regarded the surgery as a necessary thing to avoid complications in my life in the future. Being obese holds so many problems. It increases risk of breast cancer, diabetes, heart disease, complications getting pregnant and having children. I do not have any problems now, but felt it was important to do the surgery at 24 with no problems, than have the surgery later in life and have complications.

What was your self-esteem like before surgery? During recovery? After? When I was younger, I did not have the best self esteem. I dealt with trying to be thin in drastic ways and wanted to be "normal" and thin. It was not until I got older and went to college that I really discovered who I truly was and felt beautiful. Since my college career on, I really felt like I had good self esteem. During the recovery, I still felt good about myself and my decision. It was interesting/humbling not to be able to shower everyday and wear makeup and do my hair. Hair and Makeup is not a priority, but knowing that you cant do it because you do not have a lot of energy was a bummer. I really was excited when I felt up to doing it. After surgery, my self esteem stayed the same. It does feel good to have lost weight and feel better, but I know that I am the same person I was before and after surgery.

What has the recovery been like? The recovery post surgery was really easy. I felt like I had done 1000 sit ups and was really really sore, but it was not bad at all. For the first few weeks it was hard to get in all the water and protein. At 3 weeks post op, I did have some complications. I was really dehydrated and ended up in the hospital for a week. I was pumped full of fluids and nutrition. I am still attached to a take home IV called a PICC line that feeds me full of nutrition. Those complications have been hard, but really worth it.

What other weight-loss strategies did you use before deciding to have the procedure? I went on a a TON diets. Here are the following; Weight Watchers 3x, Slim Fast, Diet Pills, Atkins Diet, Weight Counseling, sports,going to the gym

How much and what kinds of reading did/do you do about fat and obesity? I researched a lot about the surgery, but not a lot about obesity. I kind of figured I knew about being obese, I researched about the surgery and everything there was.

What kinds of cultural pressures did/do you feel about your body? I think that living in America, there is always pressures to be thin, and "beautiful." I think there is always pressures to be thin and look your best. In our society, sex sells, and it is always hard to be obese. I think always in the back of mind "would anyone fall in love with me being so big?"

How does the surgery affect your quality of life? I feel so much more disciplined and healthy. I am not to the point where I can "feel" the weight loss and have more energy, but I do know that it will eventually get there.

What’s the history of your being overweight? I have been overweight my whole life. The most weight I have ever lost at one time is 50lbs. I hope to lose 150lbs or more so this will be quite a difference.

What, if any were the social, personal, or professional consequences of your weight? I feel the only thing that has affected me personally is my lack of dating in my life. Also, people judge overweight people and do not hear what they have to say. It has affected me, but also caused me to grow as a person too.

What kinds of expectations do you have about your life post-surgery? I expect to be healthy. I guess that is my only expectation. I know that I will be thin, but I do not know if that is an expectation or not, but I do think eventually I will get thin. That is the result of weight loss surgery.

Do you think it is different to be an overweight woman than to be an overweight man? Absolutely! I think that there is a stereotype that fat women are not beautiful, desirable, or worth anyone's time. In the media, we rarely if ever, see fat women that are the desirable ones. Even movies like "Hairspray" the girl is made fun of for being big and it ultimately ends well, but she is scrutinized. I might be wrong, but I do not see any fat women that are given any positive attention in TV or Movies. Look at all the Disney characters, not large princesses. Barbie,even, has yet to make an overweight doll. They have made all professions, including a Barbie that picks up dog poop. But they have yet to construct an overweight doll. Also, I was told as a kid that "fat people dont do ballet" and "guys are visual people, if you were thin, then you would have a boyfriend. Overweight men, on the other hand, are given leading roles in movies all the time. Kevin James, Vince Vaughn, and others are given leading roles in movies all the time. There is not a huge stigma for overweight men as there is for women. I think partially it is argued that "men are visual people" and do not want women who are fat as they are not desirable.

Are there things about obesity that you think should be addressed in a broad context (not just an individual basis)? If so, what are they and how should they be addressed? I think that anytime obesity is discussed, it should be taken into consideration people who are already obese. Often times when it is discussed in school systems, it is not approached as a typical "disorder" or problem but still in the school systems, obesity is looked down upon. Additionally, I think on a global basis, people on the outside feel like they have a "right" to comment about people who are fat. Or they have a right to "encourage" them to go to the gym, eat healthier, talk to them about dieting. There is some weird reason that people feel like can comment on someone's weight.

You said that you researched the surgery extensively but not obesity. Why did it seem important to find out about the operation but not the condition (i.e. the history of and theory about obesity)? I guess I did not decided to research a lot about obesity itself because It was always addressed in school. I guess that without actively researching it, I knew a lot about the causes of obesity, history ect.

You mention that people don't take fat people seriously, or listen to what they have to say. Do you have more to say about that? (it seems to me that there is a stereotype of fat people as stupid/lazy/undisciplined etc. what do you have to say about that?) I totally hear the stereotype that fat people are lazy and undisciplined. I would not fully say that there is a stereotype about them being stupid, but for sure lazy! For me, I always heard people say to me "you would lose weight if just went to the gym." I was going to the gym and working out. I was trying to lose weight. I truly believe that being fat is partially discipline, but totally genetic! I do feel like since I dont feel heard often, I do end up being really loud and boisterous. I like that about myself, but as we search deeper inside, I think it is partially due to the fact that I never felt "heard"

I hope that you got to know me more through my answers. Have more questions? Just post them on the comments section and I will answer them:)