So, you say I took the easy way out. A surgeon's perspective on Bariatric Surgery.

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. This subject just came up on the health message board I live at now. And it was exactly

this argument:

Taking the easy way out vs. it's not taking the easy way out.

I agree. It's not "cheating." If a person is so morbidly obese that they can't exercise, what are their chances at losing weight? I know at 265lbs and steadily rising, this could easily have become a discussion I had with my doc. If my knees were any worse, I might have had the conversation right now.

And it is sad that on a health board there are hundreds of people who feel it's cheating. They need to start seeing obesity as the disease it is, not a "character flaw." In my book, that's the crux of the whole argument. First it was immoral to put the weight on, and then it was immoral not to work hard to take it off. (Which is a lack of information on their part. People who have gastric surgery still have to watch what they eat and exercise. The surgery just helps them get to a place where they can start to do those things in a safer, more effective way.)