How is it that some people get fatter with a gastric bypass?

Did he have the bypass or the lap-band? Because if he had the lap-band, that can be adjusted or removed, so he may have had it adjusted to too large a size or removed.

I haven’t asked him which surgery he had. I don’t want to say something like “Nice to see you after all these years… that surgery thing sure didn’t work out!” I’m curious about it, but I don’t think there’s a polite way to bring it up.

Maybe you can say that you have a friend who’s thinking of getting it, and ask you know he did, so if he liked his doctor, maybe he could give you the doctor’s name for her? And if he does say “ok, and that’s the bypass, not the lap-band, right?” (or vice versa). He may not share, but at least it’s a tactful way to bring it into the conversation, and if he wants to talk about it, he can.

Having a gastric bypass doesn’t change a person’s (poor) eating habits or (poor) food choices. Overeating and weight gain involve more than stomach volume.

A gastric bypass is not a solution. It’s a tool in helping you control your portions. Having a stomach the size of a small fist won’t stop you from taking in more than enough calories to maintain or even gain weight. A way to prevent success with a gastric bypass is grazing (eating continously all day), building up a resistance against certain bad food that you can’t handle at first (and cause the painful ‘dumping’ process), or eating enough per portion to cause the smaller stomach to slowly stretch out over time (and it can stretch out all the way to it’s original size).

There can be a lot of reasons why people want to stay overweight, often subconsciously, and if they don’t take care of their mental issues first, unfortunately even a gastric bypass won’t save them from their weight issues. Most insurance companies and doctors require the patience to enroll in a special course that helps them prepare for the operation mentally. It’s possible your friend just wasn’t ready for the big change.

Gastric Bypass pre-surgery protocol is meant to be very intensive, to screen out people with psychological (as well as certain physical) problems. Anyone can gain weight. The psychological screening is meant to ferret out people who are unable to be compliant.

There is a folk belief that once someone has the surgery, he or she can no longer gain weight. This is not true. It still requires a lifetime of adhering to a strict regimen. Many people gain all their weight back and more after surgery, which means that there is no known way to combat their obesity any longer. They have lost the last battle. Imagine how terrible that must feel.

He could have an underlying condition that either the bypass or band couldn’t fix- such as poor thyroid function or a genetic illness.

my friend has this problem. any fiberous food, fruit, veg, pasta gets stuck in the band and makes her vomit. so she sticks to liquid foods which tend to be high calorie. its a shame.

People don’t learn how to change their habits. This surgery keeps them lazy unless they also combine it with learning how to lead aa healthier life. They may lose weight initially, but if you keep eating, you stomach is going to expand again and the cycle will continue

@Ponderer983 Why the pejorative, “lazy”? That sounds like an ugly stereotype to me.

@dpworkin I say lazy because in my mind, if someone is large enough to need gastric bypass surgery, more times than not it is someone eating much more than they need be and not doing any kind of physical activity other than what is necessary ie walking to and from a car etc. To me that is lazy, and many people who have this surgery feel like they can stay in that lifestyle and let the surgery run it’s course – but this is not how this surgery works.
Are there some cases where their obesity is not related to my definition of being “lazy”? Yes I’m sure there are people with other health issues that contribute to the condition, but not most.

@Ponderer983 Have you the results of any peer-reviewed studies that indicate that obese people are lazy, or did you come up with that bit of wisdom all by yourself?

@dpworkin If by peer reviewed you mean my own life, then yes. I am allowed to call myself fucking lazy if I feel like it. You people look too much into words and how people use them – not everyone can be PC all the time. So am I lazy – - – yes. I can self depricate

Deprecate. And good for you.