Member-only story
When the Fat Man Smells Skinny
5 Reasons I’m pursuing bariatric surgery.
A while ago, I wrote about my intention to visit a bariatric surgeon, and later, my feelings after my first visit with him. And, since then, I’ve received a lot of encouragement from my online community, both here and on Twitter. But in with the support, there’s been an undercurrent of negativity, running the gamut from people insisting that “you’re just fine as you are” to “you should just follow this diet” to “weight loss surgery is the lazy way out.”
Then there are the frantic people who suggest that any kind of weight loss surgery is a one-way ticket to the morgue, who share horror stories about surgeries gone wrong, firm in the belief that the plural of anecdote is data, and that if something’s on the internet, it must be true.
And, sure, if you go searching through the internet, you’ll find a lot of horrified naysayers. I have been firmly advised by others who’ve had surgery to avoid the online communities, because they can become unhealthy and toxic spaces. But when you sit down and read the science, it’s fairly clear: the procedures, while not completely devoid of risk, are lifesaving, especially for people like me — and the risk is almost nothing compared to the risks of staying at my size.
