I share this, not because of the article, because seriously: "Britain's Fattest Teen," uh, what? It's a bit over the top and this is obviously a tabloid, and I bet this girl got serious CASH to pose. But, the photo and message is something I understand, at least a little bit.
It's a realistic view of what WE LOOK LIKE after weight loss surgery and massive weight loss. Yes, your mileage will vary, but I look at her and think, "Wow, that's just like me."
Now, she started out at 476 lbs, so it may be more dramatic, but she is very young, and this is actually a good result compared to what might have been at an advanced age. And, frankly, her legs beat mine. :/
"I know it sounds ungrateful, but I preferred my body when I was fat,' the 19-year-old said.
'At least it was firm and curvy, not droopy and saggy. I had nice firm arms - now the skin just hangs and I have to cover them up because they look so awful.'
'The surgery might have saved my life, but I wish I'd never had it done.'
Because, that's how she FEELS about it right now, perhaps?
GASP! SHOCK! HORROR!
I just saw a hundred pairs of eyeballs roll all completely around.
"Losing weight is not about your looks! It's about saving your life!"
Yeah. But.
"How dare she!? I love my surgery! I love my surgeon! I want to have another bypass! I have a life! I love life!"
But, sometimes, when you are young, and dying to look relatively normal? Vanity shoots STRAIGHT TO THE TOP OF THE LIST OF REASONS TO HAVE WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY. It just DOES, even if you do not admit it out loud. Maybe not for everyone, but I guarantee you there are loads of pre-ops out there who have their priorities like this:
- To look good.
- To feel better.
- To get rid of my diabetes, high blood pressure, etc...etc...
Particularly younger pre-ops, more likely girls, but boys too. In fact, it was the ONLY reason my husband persued WLS. ("OMG, WHAT?!") Yep. He was told that he looked like a slob, and would never get ahead in his career unless he changed that. So? What do you do? Get a lawyer or a surgeon? Riiiiight.
It's just reality. Sure, it's not "right," but you cannot change how someone feels and telling them it's All About Health when all they see is the unreachable goal of a bikini body.
Once they get to that place, the "Now what?!" stage of losing the weight and finding themselves looking more like a Sharpei than a woman, it SUCKS. Enough so that it might make them feel like, "What WAS the point?" even if they did have resolution of disease and concerns from their former size.
She says that there are also complications: "stomach pains and constant diarrhoea," that make it hard to get out of bed sometimes.
'I wish I'd lost the weight through exercise and healthy eating. I know this operation was life-saving, but the complications I'm suffering now might still kill me. The truth is I feel I'm no better off than I was before.'
