Source: Lapband.com

Reading the story 1-800-GetThin Under Fire for Lap-Band Surgery made me think about the coverage about weight loss surgery over the past few years and how more people are opting for weight loss surgery whether it is gastric bypass or lap-band surgery though there are still complications which are not being talked about.

In the above story five people have died in the last three years yet the only thing the doctors are looking at is the amount of money they make instead of the lives they have destroyed. I am not sure how many more people have to die in order for it to be taken seriously.

For those who know nothing about lap-band surgery in a nutshell it is putting a band around your stomach to shrink the size restricting the amount of food you intake thus causing weight loss.  I personally know two individuals who have had weight loss surgery.

One had lap-band the other gastric bypass.  Both lost weight but one has severe mental complications.  I am not certain if the surgery caused it but she did no display these issues prior to the surgery so it makes me think. At least she is still alive to have mental issues though I would not wish those type of issues on anyone.

According to Lapband.com

Placement of the LAP-BAND® System is major surgery and, as with any surgery,death can occur. Possible complications include the risks associated with the medications and methods used during surgery, the risks associated with any surgical procedure, and the patient’s ability to tolerate a foreign object implanted in the body.

Band slippage, erosion and deflation, reflux, obstruction of the stomach, dilation of the esophagus, infection, or nausea and vomiting may occur. Reoperation may be required.

Rapid weight loss may result in complications that may require additional surgery. Deflation of the band may alleviate excessively rapid weight loss or esophageal dilation.

Considering most people do not like dying you can avoid possible death by not going though with lap-band surgery.  For you word police out there I am not saying you will become immortal by not having WLS, what I am saying as a person who experienced reflux first hand, it makes you wish you where dead so what sense does it make to have a procedure that could cause such harsh side effects.

I realize there are many success stories connected to lap-band surgery but with so many dying and so many doctors worried more about the money than about the lives of their patients why would you risk your life to lose some vanity weight?

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After losing several family and friends to breast cancer I am always happy to promote those who support breast cancer awareness. I stumbled upon this press release so I am passing the info on to you guys.  If it was only as simple as buying a T-shirt to cure this deadly disease.

Plus size women looking to support cancer research can now join the cause with Sealed With a Kiss Designs (otherwise known as SWAK Designs) who has partnered with iconic ta-tas® Brand to offer a selection of authentic plus size fit tees, where a percentage of each sale goes to fight against cancer at every stage by supporting break-through research.

The partnership began from a simple need; to offer Save the ta-tas® tee shirts in an authentic women’s plus size fit with a company that caters to this market.

“We are thrilled to be making tee shirts with Save the ta-tas®,” says Sarah Sapora, Director of Marketing and Business Development for SWAK Designs. “Women of all shapes and sizes are interested in supporting the fight against breast cancer. Now, plus size women can buy these well known tee shirts in sizes that will fit and flatter them!”

“We are thrilled to partner with SWAK Designs and to offer Save the ta-tas® products to women of all shapes and sizes,” said Julia Fikse, Founder and President of Save the ta-tas®.  “Together, SWAK Designs and Save the ta-tas® can not only fight cancer with humor, but also with donations that go directly towards research in finding a cure for cancer.”

SWAK Designs launches its collection with three tee shirts. The classic, V-neck Save the ta-tas® logo tee in both pink and black, the bold and flirty “I Love My Big ta-tas” tee shirt and western-inspired “I Love My Cowgirl ta-tas” tee.  Each shirt is available in sizes 1x – 5x, the equivalent of a woman’s size 14 through 32 for $29.97each. They may be purchased online at www.swakdesigns.com.

About Sealed With a Kiss Designs

Sealed With a Kiss Designs offers contemporary women’s plus size fashions in sizes 14 – 36. Styles are available online at and at select boutiques across the country and internationally. The California- based business prides itself on making the majority of all its styles locally, within the Los Angeles metro-area. For more information, or for wholesale inquiries, visit them online at www.swakdesigns.com or call 818-888-3800. Join SWAK on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sealedwithakissdesigns and on Twitter @SWAKDesigns

About Save the ta-tas®

ta-tas® Brand (est. 2004) and Save the Ta-tas® Foundation (est. 2008) were created by fashion designer,Julia Fikse, as a way to fight breast cancer using laughter and fun. Formerly a designer for Jessica McClintock, Levi and Adidas, Julia started Save the ta-tas® as the perfect combination of fashion design and supporting a cause.  ta-tas® Brand has donated 50% of their profits to the cause over the last six years and to date, has donated $790,000+ to fund the fight against cancer.  For more information, please visit www.savethetatas.com, join their community on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Savethetatas and on Twitter @savethetatas.

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File photo from vivus.com

Recently the FDA gave the green light to Qnexa, though the final decision has not been made, a weight lose drug that is supposed to help morbidly obese people in their battle to lose weight.  The problem with this drug is it being a combination of two drugs with known side effects. Qnexa is a combination of the appetite suppressant phentermine and anti-seizure drug topiramate.  We all remember the problems with Fenphen and Meridia so why would Qnexa be any different?  The reports from different agencies state that Qnexa is a better alternative than obesity.  The same weak arguement can be applied to gastric bypass surgery which has an even longer list of side effects.

10 Reasons Qnexa Is Just As Bad As Gastric Bypass Surgery to Fight Obesity

1. Birth defects
2. Heart problems
3. Cleft lip
4. Memory loss
5. The drug was previously rejected – 2010
6. The link to fenphen
7. Side effects could get worse over time
8. Lack of concentration
9. Regaining weight after discontinuing use
10. Death

A panel of outside experts recently voted to recommend the drug. The group’s recommendation is not binding. The FDA is expected to make its final decision by April 17.

Most of us remember the disasters with weight loss pills.  The drugs Xenical and Alli are on the market with weak results and both have side effects that include liver problems, uncontrolled bowel movements and modest weight loss.  They could just as easy be counted as disasters as well. With such a bad track record why would anyone in there right mind voluntarily take such a potentially dangerous drug?

Trials were done at the California weight-loss clinic of Dr. Thomas Najarian, the inventor of Qnexa who took advantage of a loophole in the regulations to give patients the individual drugs which equal the combined drug.  Those who took the medication lost weight but once they stopped taking it a few gained at least half of the weight back.  Just like with gastric bypass surgery Qnexa is a dangerous band-aid fix for a person looking to lose weight.

I have talked about my journey into exercise and diet with me hiking.  I have lost weight and gotten into better physical shape through my own efforts and for free.  The people who push weight loss pills and dangerous surgery and try to justify it with obesity risk warnings offend my intellect.  If you are looking to get into shape it would be better for you to just walk for at least 30 minutes a few times a week.  Not only will your body thank you but your bank account will not be drained from what you would pay for a drug like Qnexa.

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Ads like this are more offensive than saying the word obese

According to studies done in Philadelphia and Atlanta obesity is a major problem and now the term obese and its derivatives are considered offensive.  When I read things like this I get so tired.  In the plus size community we have dealt with abuse so long that when the next blow comes its hard to stomach.  Hearing “medically-obese” was bad enough but now we have to hear that saying the word obese is offensive to many.

As an obese black man living in the state of Arkansas I think I can tell you a few things about words that are offensive and obese is not on the list.  Fat. Jolly. Rotund. Tubo. Lardo. Lard-ass. Dumbo. Fat-ass for example.  I could go on with a few more words that ARE for sure offensive but I digress.  If the people in the Philly study felt bad when their doctor said obese I have sympathy for them but not enough that the word obese should no longer be used.

Why do I have a problem with any word being thrown out especially one that is commonly associated with fat people?  The term obese is more connected to medical terms in conjunction with a persons BMI instead of their actual weight.

For example, a male who is six foot tall and weighs one hundred and ninety pounds and has 15% body fat is considered obese.  How do I know?  The person in the example is yours truly a few years back.  I had the muscle mass of a professional athlete but because I had a gut I was considered obese.

If anything needs to be removed from the books it is the stupid math that created BMI. As crazy as the child obesity campaign is in Atlanta is I do not think that obese should be stricken from the record books as much as I think that the attitudes of people when using the word needs to change. How is this going to happen?

I have a few simple solutions.

• Stop saying the word obese like its a dirty word
• Stop judging people by what the scale says

See that was not too painful was it?  Obese is just a word but the intent behind saying it is where the problem lies.  If you intend harm to the person then the word can cut deeply.  If you are a doctor who is scared to say it then you are just s bad as a person who says it in a venomous way. There are far worse things going on in the world today that are more important than whether or not to say the word obese.

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Did you know most diets don’t work? You lose weight then a short time later the weight is back.  Why?  Lifestyle choices.  Since I am not one to tell a person what to do with their personal time I will concentrate on the one area that plaugues many plus size women this time of year and that is the New Year’s resolution to lose weight through dieting.

My claim that most diets don’t work comes from my own personal experience of having a health condition that required me to be more aware of my diet as well as my over all lifestyle.  The food regiment was one perscribed all the time to diabetic indivduals, high protien low carbohydrates.  In 15 weeks I dropped 72lbs.  Did this happen because I was starving myself or eating meat only?  Not at all the wieght came off because I not only changed the way I ate but I combined a workout regiment.

Back to why diets don’t work.  It is simple you can shed the pounds using any off the shelf program but in order to keep the pounds off you need to workout. Back to my experience.  After the initial 15 week period I stopped the altered eating program.

Did the weight come back.  No, at least not initially, because I continued to workout.  The problem with most people is they feel dieting is a lifelong prison sentence in which you are subjected to bland tasteless foods only.  Lack of choice and flavor are the number one reasons for people to back-slide from diets, but more important than those two involve not incorporating exercise into their lifestyle.

More personal testimony.  Back during the Spring I decided to start working out since I gained back all of the weight I lost those years ago.  I picked up my backpack, hiking boots, and my walking staff and started walking.  No goal other than keeping my body moving.

By the way I did not change my diet in any way what so ever.  Even with slacking off here and there I have hiked 114 miles and dropped 4 inches from my waist all without any type of fancy diet program.

The outfit you see in the photo is my go to workout gear.  If you are not the outdoorsy type then of course your workout gear will be different. Everything including the shoes cost less than $100 total.  This means working out does not mean you have to break the bank.

As we head into 2012 instead of concentrating on the latest batch of diets to suck your bank account dry why not resolve to be more fit and healthy?  You do not have to workout everyday to be healthy but if you workout on a continuous basis you will be ready to tackle life. Hiking saved me back during the Summer while walking through the New York and Atlanta airports.  No diets, yes healthy, and more fit you.

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When it comes to your plus size silhouette have you thought about what snacks and diabetes have to do with your overall health? Diabetes runs deep in my family so at forty-five years old and my wife at forty-one we are both conscious about our health, especially since she has high blood pressure.

At this point diabetes is not something that I have to worry about but something that is common among lots of people I have encountered in the plus size community over the years so when I got this list in my email I thought it would be good to pass along to you guys.

“What kind of snacks can I eat?” This is a good question whether you have diabetes or not. If you have diabetes, gone are the days of two graham crackers with 4 ounces of skim milk before bedtime.

If done in moderation, here are ten things you should know about how snacking affects you:

1. Prevents you from overeating at the next meal
2. Keeps hunger at a minimum between meals
3. Keeps the blood sugar level steady
4. Needed especially when you exercise for an hour or more
5. Is recommended for people who have gastroparesis. They get full or bloated on a complete meal due to delayed gastric emptying
6. May be an answer to help prevent hypoglycemia during the night
7. Can be used to prevent lows when driving for a long period
8. Good when you are on insulin or sulfonylureas and are more at risk for hypoglycemia
9. Is perfect during plane travel when you may not be receiving a meal
10. Is great for type 1 children who are growing and need extra calories between meals and to help prevent hypoglycemia

Remember, snacks need to be factored into your daily calorie allotment; you are just spreading the calories throughout the day. Measuring out portion sizes is important when snacking. They should not exceed 100-200 calories and contain only one serving of a carbohydrate (15 grams per snack). Stick to no more than two snacks a day. Combine protein, mono-unsaturated fats, and complex carbohydrates for the best nutrition and satisfaction.

NOTE: Consult your Doctor first to make sure my recommendations fit your special health needs.
Original post: 10 Tips on Snacking with Diabetes by Roberta Kleinman, RN, M.Ed., CDE

Now that you have read the medical jargon related to snacks and diabetes lets talk about the plus size silhouette as it relates to snacks.  Most of us are guilty of making a snack a meal which if you go by the medical advice will exceed the 200 calorie suggestion by a mile!  Lets face it folks the critics think we are fat because we eat to much so lets not prove them correct by eating unhealthy, getting bigger, and in the worst case having to deal with diabetes.

Full Figure Plus - Plus Size Fashion For Today's Active Women