Health & Family Lap Band Surgery

Discussion in 'Living Room' started by Darlinghurst Boy, 20th Dec, 2015.

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  1. Darlinghurst Boy

    Darlinghurst Boy Well-Known Member

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    My nephew is making enquiries about Lap Band Surgery ...he is 160kg and 23yo.

    Because he doesnt have much support from his parents he has asked me to assist him financially.

    Im not keen on this, its not the cost its the risk.
    About $7,000 gap payment with his private health fund.
    I have told him to go to the gym everyday and walk the treadmill for at least 1 hour.

    I go to the gym myself everyday for about 15 to 20 minutes.
    Laziness..sitting in his job...eating sweet foods are what is causing it.

    Even as i am in middle age im stsrting to gain weight myself and that means not eating after 6pm.
    I never now eat after 6pm.

    I would prefer I spend the money on a personal trainer for his xmas gift at Fitness First .
    Im trying to read up on this lap band surgery they all look gaunt these people who had it.

    Anyone had a family member who has the surgery to remove it?
    What about a personal trainer at fitness first?
    How much are the personal trainers?

    My concern is this.
    The doctors are like salesmen...they have made him excited by selling him this weight loss surgery...they have told him things such as he will lose weight effortlessly in 6 months he will be a new man etc.
    Its like a sales pitch.
    30kg in 6 months apparently..but then that seems too fast thats why they have the fat hanging off them after dieting.


    I will contact Fitness First I think and ask them about gift cards for personal trainers.
    He has time to go everyday so he can .
    I think the personal trainers msybe better.safer option.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: 20th Dec, 2015
  2. Xenia

    Xenia Well-Known Member

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    What is it?
     
  3. Darlinghurst Boy

    Darlinghurst Boy Well-Known Member

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    Lap band is tying up the stomach so the obese person eats less.
    About 7k with private insurance.

    But has complications.

    Being active everyday..no sweets. .i have told him this as well as to run everyday ...run at least 10km a day should make him lose the 160kg
    Maybe even we should tie him to the back of a ute and drive and make him run ?
     
  4. moridog

    moridog Well-Known Member

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    I've had three family members have it. One is same size now, one lost all the weight and looks great, one is bigger than before. A woman at work had it done, a young woman and lost maybe 50 kilos? She looks simply wonderful but is saving up for the surgery to remove the skin. I think a lot of the issue is the mind set of eating, ie, behaviours need to change. One of my family members could only manage eating one Twistie at a time due to the lap band, but hey, still managed to polish off the whole bag, just took longer.
     
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  5. Bayview

    Bayview Well-Known Member

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    To run even 1km a day for someone in his condition would be very, very hard to do - at first.

    Maybe start with some intense "power walking" and a complete change of diet.

    Without these two things; his lap band probably won't work.
     
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  6. Rixter

    Rixter Well-Known Member

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    He's addressing the end result not the actual cause, being his mindset.

    Its a kin to some one attempting to change their low bank balance for the better by winner lotto.

    Risky & expensive short term fix that will not fix the underlying issue that created his predicament in the the first instance.

    I know a few people who have had the surgery, that resulted in complications later on and/or weight gain again.

    There was this one person I used to work with who had the procedure done. Just prior to him going away on holidays he used to go have his lap band let out & adjusted bigger just so he could fit more food down his throat.. :eek:
     
    Last edited: 20th Dec, 2015
  7. Sonamic

    Sonamic Well-Known Member

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    160kg as a 23 yo is just sad. He should have energy to burn, and does, but is stored as fat.

    My aunt had it done several years ago in her late 50's after dieting and exercise for 25 years was not working. She is smaller now and eats far less due to the lap band surgery, but has also radically changed what she eats. Her diet was never bad to begin with but she was one of those people who always carried weight. And at 5ft tall was quite noticeable.

    I think at his age you're on the right track with the trainer as eating and inactivity are only going to make it worse. Lap band surgery is a last resort, not a quick fix to poor lifestyle choices. Change his mindset to eating and activity before letting him get chopped open. Losing the weight naturally will be far more rewarding a life experience than putting all your hopes on a rubber band that shuts off 3/4 of your stomach capacity.
     
  8. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    Have a look at a personal life coach who combines change of life habits, diet and exercise. It doesn't come cheap but worth it.
     
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  9. Azazel

    Azazel Well-Known Member

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    For really fat people who can't control themselves it's a good idea.
    The surgery will prevent him from eating too much bacon.
    Just pay for it, think of it as saving someone's life.
     
  10. MTR

    MTR Well-Known Member

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    I believe you have to have BMI over 30 for this procedure.

    The sleeve is the better option from my research
    http://www.lapsurgery.com.au/downloadables/Gastric_Band_versus_Gastric_Sleeve_Surgery.pdf

    My SIL had lap band surgery, lost a lot of weight and now all back, the problem is they can cheat. Smaller portions, many times a day, still overeating. Its not a cure, you still have to change your mindset.

    I am not against this for obese people, but go in with your eyes wide open its not an easy fix for everyone.

    MTR:)
     
  11. Bran

    Bran Well-Known Member

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    Your post is yet another observational troll, but nevertheless worth responding.

    Being 160kg is not simply a result of mindset.

    This is a disease.

    He is very unlikely to achieve a healthy weight through willpower and diet alone, and if he does, the evidence suggests that it is short-lived.

    Bariatric surgery is not without significant risks, as is most surgery.

    Lap bands have fallen out of favour - sleeve gastrectomies are the current flavour, where a portion of the stomach is removed, rather than a restrictive foreign object applied.

    I would not have a lap band.

    He will not be a normal weight with bariatric surgery - lap band, sleeve or otherwise, however a good result is generally about 50% of excess weight loss. So... this might get him down to about 120kg.


    There is evidence that bariatric surgery is more cost-effective when measured against the chronic diseases it prevents.

    Bariatric surgery is effective at reducing if not eliminating diabetes.

    Local surgeons in Brisbane who I would trust charge about $3000-4000 gap as published on their website (I don't do this sort of surgery). $7000 is excessive IMO.

    Choose your surgeon carefully. Seeing one does not mandate using that one.
     
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  12. MTR

    MTR Well-Known Member

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    Bran

    Very interesting, you call it a disease. In UK this procedure is fully funded as government recognises it is an addiction/disease. We are following right?

    I started a post some time back on SS regarding this topic and many at the time had the view that people who are obese are lazy, not taking responsibility for their actions etc etc etc.

    It seems many people can understand addictions when it comes to drugs, alcohol but they don't accept that people can be addicted to food.

    I am sure no one would want to be obese, 50% of our population in the obese category, if it were that simple as just cutting back on food intake and exercise there would be no issue, but's it not unfortunately.

    MTR:)
     
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  13. The Y-man

    The Y-man Moderator Staff Member

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    ...or more specifically addicted to modified corn syrup, and other additives / processed components that switch off the bodies "had enough to eat" mechanism.



    The Y-man
     
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  14. 158

    158 Well-Known Member

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    BMI is one of the most outdated and useless units of obesity measuring.

    To give you an example, according to BMI, I am in the higher end of 'overweight' with a BMI of 28. I'd be flat out having 5% body fat content.

    Overweight people KNOW how to lose weight, but ignore it because 'it's too hard'. Even a medical scare like a heart attack, stroke and Diabetes doesn't phase half of overweight people and they don't adjust their lifestyle and chance death ever so more likely prematurely.

    Calories in vs calories out (portion control), plenty of regular vigorous exercise to start dropping the weight, only drink water are the 3 biggest ways to lose weight. It's a whole lifestyle change. There is no magic pill, operation, over night miracle. It takes hard work, dedication and a will to live healthier and longer.

    pinkboy
     
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  15. MTR

    MTR Well-Known Member

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    Yes, watched a program regarding this.
     
  16. MTR

    MTR Well-Known Member

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    Of course, but we know this its not rocket science.
    This is not the issue we are discussing
     
  17. Bran

    Bran Well-Known Member

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    Yes, although it's not just me. The WHO also labels obesity as a disease.

    Lung cancer is a disease, caused by smoking.
    Obesity is a disease, caused by poor food choices/access/genetic tendencies/sedentary lifestyle etc.

    Under rare circumstances, weight loss surgery is done - although last I heard only about 10 per year in public. In private - this per week per hospital, or more.

    I think it is life-saving for some, and a convenience for others.
     
  18. 158

    158 Well-Known Member

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    Read the whole post. Addresses the issue being discussed. Don't just pick out snippets of my post. You bought it up, I debunked it. Simple as that.

    pinkboy
     
  19. Bran

    Bran Well-Known Member

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    I disagree. It certainly has limitations (I am also 'obese' which is laughable), but its ability to be measured in any clinical setting - easily - makes it far from useless.

    Clinically, we don't need to know people's body compositions accurately. We need to be able to measure them, weigh them, and then point to the graph that shows them that they are morbidly obese. Without that measure, they don't listen. Many don't know how overweight they are, and almost no-one knows their own weight once its above about 120kg.

    I'm like you - super active, super motivated, can do anything with the decision to do so. But - I've had my ability to exercise taken away (at least my chosen exercise, riding), and BAM, I've put on 11kg in a couple of months. I've taken up gym and swimming, but I simply can't swim long, far or hard enough to match what I could do on the bike. It's been an interesting observational experience for me - replace exercise with an ignorance of food, or easy/cheap access to high fructose foods, or a genetic tendency to not feel hungry, or whatever... and you can't entirely blame the individual.
     
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  20. 158

    158 Well-Known Member

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    I guess you have to assume lazy, fat people are too lazy to process specific data so you use a lazy, simple measure like a BMI graph to get through to them.

    As you can tell, I have huge disrespect for fat people who are too lazy to look after their life. Perfect examples are people who are perfectly capable of investing/developing/planning for the future, but can't put that time and effort into themselves.

    What a great future that is.

    pinkboy
     
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