LOS ANGELES, Nov. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --It isn't easy to "come out of the closet," so to speak. When I decided to get gastric sleeve surgery, the only two people who knew were my husband and daughter. I felt too ashamed to tell anyone else. I felt guilty inside that I wasn't able to take the weight off on my own. Recently, I ran into an old friend. Looking at me, she said, "Maddy you have lost so much weight. How did you do it?" I have to admit, I actually hesitated for a moment...and said nothing. Later, I thought to myself, why did I hesitate to tell her? The only thing that came to mind was the simple word "fear."
Why do we feel the need to hide our decision to have bariatric surgery? Is it because of low self esteem? Do we feel a natural urgency to keep this big dark secret private, or is it due to the way society sees fat people? We live with the constant advertising campaigns flashing thin stick models, while we the "fat people" struggle to keep the scale from tipping. Let's call the "dying to be thin" attitude. The taboo word "bariatric" has no place in this world... until now. Today, we have the means to achieve weight goals that we never had before. My own wonderful experience at Dr. Feiz & Associates, one of the top providers of both gastric sleeve and Lap Band surgery in Los Angeles, is a testament to just how far the technology has come. Folks like me who have battled the scale for years now have alternatives. So why hide this amazing news?
This week I did just that. I told my folks about my weight loss surgery in Los Angeles. To my amazement, they were supportive and very happy I took this journey. I cannot express to you how important it is to have family and friends to support you during your life-changing weight loss. And it is indeed both mentally and physically a change. I now talk openly and candidly about my surgery. What amazing changes have occurred over the last 5 months! Today, I am no longer on any medications to help me control my sugar, cholesterol or blood pressure - a MAJOR milestone in my life.
I blog and chat with other people who have gone through bariatric surgery. I did an online survey asking three questions: How many people have you told? Did you tell your friends? Have you told your family? To my amazement, 73% told less than 5 people, 76% did not tell their friends, and more than 79% did not tell their family. It's sad that we feel the need to hide from this. Today, bariatric surgery is a useful necessity for those like me who just could not lose the weight. It's time we stood up and made our voices heard; bariatric surgery is no longer a shameful procedure , but rather an amazing tool to good health.
PR submitted by www.Cyberset.com
SOURCEMaddy Bronstein
