The Patient's Guide to Weight Loss Surgery: Everything You Need to Know about Gastric Bypass and Bariatric Surgery

I was looking for something like the quiz that is included in the very back of the book. It's kind of like a second opinion about whether I should consider weight loss surgery. I was surprised by some of the questions. For example: "If there were no mirrors in society, could I be happy with myself right now?" I would have to answer 'yes' and I guess that says a lot about who I would be having the surgery for. I also liked the story about the subway system experiment. I've often sat on a subway and wondered about my fellow travelers, but never had the courage to say anything to them. This experiment showed me that most of us feel lonely in a crowd and would welcome the right kind of interest from others. The tone of the book was very professional and it made me think twice before jumping on the bandwagon for weight loss surgery.

This book ought to be required reading for anyone who has ever gone on a diet. I didn't know about the different types of weight loss surgery. It was explained in a precise way with very clear illustrations. The second part of the book is about why dieting will never work. Move over Dr. Phil. This book challenges what I thought I knew about dieting and weight loss. It tells why dieting only adds more fat in the long run. Dieting takes off as much lean body mass as fat and if you don't exercise, you put on a greater proportion of fat than you lost. I wish I had know that 30 years ago. Maybe I wouldn't be interested in weight loss surgery now. Then the third part of the book was the most interesting to me. The case histories were not the 'lala' everything is wonderful cases you hear about on TV. These people had real-life problems with their surgeries and some of them ended up happy and some of them ruined their life with their choice. Especially Floyd, the man who died as a result of weight loss surgery. Imagine having to be moved around with a hoist because you were so large. It moved me to tears. It's high time someone wrote a book like this with a realistic view of weight loss surgery.

knowing someone that is morbidly obese and considering surgery, i purchased this book for them after hearing about it on a local radio show. it contains very extensive knowledge describing all the major operations, diagrams of the procedures available as well their side affects. the author goes into detail about psychological affects of being morbidly obese in todays society, as well as the mental transformation people must make post op.one part of the book i found touching were the personal stories of morbidly obese people and their journeys through surgery. some of them were very eye opening tells of people that almost died on the operating table. all in all i found this book a good starter for anyone who is planning on having surgery, or if you know someone that is thinking about. this book is a true "guide" and does not try to paint weight loss surgery as a rosey image like the many news stories on televison. a great read that covers all the bases and will probably be something handed out in doctors offices!

This book focused on the good and the bad aspects of weight loss surgery. I didn't feel like the author was biased one way or the other but wanted the reader to make a decision based on sound research principles.

This book was extremely informative and helpful. You need to read it if you are thinking about weight-loss surgery. It laid out the various procedures in a way that anyone could understand. The best part was the section containing testimonials from many individuals who have had both good and bad experiences. You know exactly what to expect and how it might affect you life: personal, work, friends, social, self-image, energy levels, eating enjoyment, and general well-being aspects were all addressed. This is a must read for anyone considering weight-loss surgery.