I was born with the disease of obesity and by the time I finished college I had progressed to morbid obesity. At the age of 33, my disease was treated with gastric bypass surgery that led to weight loss that put my disease, morbid obesity, into remission. Three years later I suffered a relapse of my disease with a weight gain of 20 pounds. Through diet and lifestyle adherence, much like a person with heart disease who relapses, I was able to put my disease, obesity, back into remission. I will always have the disease of morbid obesity and I am lucky to be able, at a young age, to be treated with the best medical option available.

The facts:

• The obesity is an illness.
• Weight loss puts the disease in remission.
• Weight gain puts the disease in relapse.
• Like most diseases, sufferers of obesity are responsible for making dietary and lifestyle changes that work with medical treatment to keep our disease in remission.
• Like most diseases, relapses occur, obesity manifests relapses in weight gain.
• We are not the disease, we have the disease.

My four truths:

1. Recovery is likely: In general, it is believed that 80% of people who have weight loss surgery (WLS) will experience a weight gain (relapse) of 10 to 30 pounds, depending on the initial weight loss. It is further believed that 20% of them will return to their previous weight and possibly gain more as the disease of morbid obesity progresses. This relapse may be the result of failed gastric surgery (surgery not performed correctly or failure of the medical device); a non-compliant patient who does not evolve his eating and exercise habits; the active intestine becomes more efficient in absorbing calories; and possible stretching of the stomach pouch. Dr. Anita Courcoulas, chief of minimally invasive general and bariatric surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, said: “Gaining weight back in the future is a common phenomenon for patients who lose weight. These patients need to be educated and prepared for it if it happens.”
2. 100% belief: It is my experience that 100% of patients who come to the operating table for treatment of their illness say, “I’m not going to be one of those people who gain weight after surgery.” You can bet the farm I said that, and imagine my embarrassment and embarrassment when, in fact, I became one of those people. At that time I did not understand that my disease had relapsed, partly because I had relaxed my new eating and exercise habits, but also because my body has a disease that wants to store excess fat. I thought I gained weight because I failed surgery.
3. I failed AGAIN! I am not alone in my feelings of failure to regain the weight. Dr Courcoulas said: “These are people who feel like they have failed at everything they tried in their lives. If they feel the surgery is failing, they feel ashamed and don’t want to go back for help.” How sad for us. When a cancer patient suffers a relapse, do they take it as a personal failure? I sure hope not. The popular media perpetuates the belief that weight gain equals failure. WLS celebrities are featured in the mainstream media and tabloids alike to gain weight back. But the celebrity with cancer who relapses? Charities named after her are organized and her bravery is praised. With a relapse into obesity, the celebrity becomes the butt of late-night comedian jokes. No wonder we don’t want to become one of those people but the statistics are not on our side
4. I am not obese. Since kindergarten the word “fat” defined me and I actually thought it was who I was because “you’re fat” and “I’m fat” were constant phrases in my world. Around the age of 40 I finally figured out that I’m not fat. I have obesity, a disease. Have you heard a heart attack patient say, “I am heart disease” or a leukemia patient say, “I am cancer”? We are not the disease! We have a disease that is part of the whole person that makes us the wonderfully unique and powerful person that we are.

Relapse to Remission: Like other diseases, obesity relapse can be put into remission. There is hope! As noted above, there are (at least) four reasons for relapse, including: failed gastric surgery; a non-compliant patient who does not evolve his eating and exercise habits; the active intestine becomes more efficient in absorbing calories; and possible stretching of the stomach pouch. Knowing that you are statistically likely to regain the weight, that you are not a failure, and that you are not the disease, you can pragmatically devise a plan to combat your relapse.

• Seek medical help and treatment: You are battling a deadly disease
• Evaluate the evolution of diet and exercise and return to the lifestyle prescribed at the time of surgery
• Learn about nutrition, physical and spiritual health so they can work in harmony to heal your body.
• Seek support, family, friends, community, and other patients to help maintain your personal motivation.
• Educate others to end ignorance and guilt and promote understanding of this disease we are fighting.