Non-financial ethical question

[moneybags]

You know Star Jones?

( For those of you not familiar with the story. Star was a host on The View, had gastric bypass, but kept telling everyone it was pilates & diet. It was debated whether she should have been upfront about her surgery. )

[Exile]

The woman should have realized before the surgery that people would ask her how she lost weight, and aside from health considerations she probably wanted to look better and get those "compliments".

We can't always tell the truth but IMHO lying in this case was unethical. If she didn't want to discuss her surgery, she could have answered curious people with "no comment" or "I'd rather not dicuss it."

[Thrifty Ray]

Please do not take any of this response personal....this is just my rant.

It makes me incredibly sad that there is such stigma tied to a womans weight. I know this is off point of your question, but it irritates me that media feels that any woman over a size 8 is fat...heaven forbid she be over a size 14...heavy women deal with so many stigma's...they are invisible to many, treated rudely, made fun of in the media and feel out of place and uncomfortable most of the time.

Now, on to your question...if a woman has breast inhancement surgery or a facelift..it is basically off limits or tacky to ask...but if a woman loses weight...suddenly she needs to reveal her life story??? Why is that??

I say good for anyone who makes positive changes in their health..and it is up to the individual as to whether they tell or not. She is enjoying a new respect for her body and self...she should be able to enjoy both without predjudice of how she accomplished it. And for all we know, she is eating healthier and exercising to maintain things...applaud her for doing whatever it takes...and leave it at that IMHO.

Off the soapbox. Again, no disrespect intended.

[disneysteve]

Now, on to your question...if a woman has breast inhancement surgery or a facelift..it is basically off limits or tacky to ask...but if a woman loses weight...suddenly she needs to reveal her life story??? Why is that??

I don't think those things are comparable. If a woman suddenly shows up with big breasts, everyone will know how it happened. If someone who had wrinkles and sagging skin shows up firm and smooth, everyone will know what happened. You don't need to ask.

Weight is different. Plus, 2/3 or more of the population is overweight or obese, so it is a problem that the majority of Americans struggle with. When you see someone who has apparently found a successful solution, I think it is natural to want to know what that solution is and if it could work for you. So I think asking in that situation is different than asking about a boob job.

[noppenbd]

Maybe the distinction needs to be made between someone who is asking just to make a compliment/be polite (or is just nosy) and someone is asking because they need to lose weight.

So if someone says "wow, you look great! I wish I could lose weight like that" then I think it is probably appropriate for the person to explain about the surgery. In my opinion it would be disingenuous to say that it was all due to diet and exercise. On the other hand, to someone who just says "did you lose weight?", I would not feel that it is necessary/appropriate to reveal the surgery. Just my opinion.

[aida2003]

I would be honest and tell about the surgery. That woman is a liar .

[nanamom]

I think it depends on who is asking the questions. No I don't advocate lying but there are some people who don't need to know. My answer then would be I've tried lots of things or bypass the question and thank them for the compliment. You could even smile and say oh I'm waiting to see if it stays off before I tell. Then the people you feel close to can get the full story if she so chooses. I don't feel anyone needs to know (except my husband) everything about me.

[SnoopyCool]

I'm inclined to say "hey... why don't you just tell the truth, you big fat liar!" Which would no longer be totally true

But she doesn't have to share her secrets. She's getting/is healthy and going to the gym and eating right so that isn't a lie. Good for her for the lifestyle changes.

An aside - does anyone know what % of bypass patients keep their weight off? I know 2 people who have had it done (approx. 4 years ago) and they are both gaining significant amounts of weight back. I assume the stomach stretches out, allowing more food to be consumed, allowing someone who hasn't really committed to change to put weight back on?

[disneysteve]

An aside - does anyone know what % of bypass patients keep their weight off?

In multiple studies, the success rate runs at least 80%. That means at least 80% of patients lose at least 50% of their excess weight. One study in Annals of Surgery, 2000, had a 93% success rate among those obese and morbidly obese and 57% among those super-obese.

[cooliemae]

In the case of Star Jones, I think she should have come right out and talked about the surgery and the effects. Celebrities like Star Jones can do alot of harm by not talking about the surgery. We are not all as fortunate to have the personal trainers and money to spend on any nip/tucks that are needed.

My best friend had gastric bypass and while they lost over 100 lbs and have kept it off for going on 3.5 years, they have been left with a lot of excess skin and an abdominal hernia.

Alot of folks will look to Star Jones as the "typical" outcome of the surgery not knowing what other things she had done to look the way she does. So in her case I think she would have been doing a public service by talking about the surgery and not trying to hide it.

However, having first hand experience with my friend having the surgery, it is difficult to explain to people why you had to go through the surgery. So trying to put this question into a right or wrong category will be difficult to say the least.

[Broken Arrow]

In multiple studies, the success rate runs at least 80%. That means at least 80% of patients lose at least 50% of their excess weight. One study in Annals of Surgery, 2000, had a 93% success rate among those obese and morbidly obese and 57% among those super-obese.

I'm almost afraid to ask but what's the difference between morbidly obese and super-obese?

[disneysteve]

I'm almost afraid to ask but what's the difference between morbidly obese and super-obese?

From the study:

Obese: BMI of 36-39
Morbidly obese: BMI of 40-49
Super obese: BMI of 50 or above

By definition, obese is a BMI of 30 or above, but in the study, it was at least 36 because, I assume, that's who underwent the surgery. Folks with a BMI of 30 weren't being operated on.

[pearlieq]

In multiple studies, the success rate runs at least 80%.

I'm curious about the longest range of time that has been studied. I'm sure there's a great deal of initial success, but it's not that hard to put the weight back on.

The pouch can easily stretch, and the person can also still effectively overeat, even post-op. It's easy to put on weight again, either by eating calorie-dense foods or by eating more or less continually.

If you want to look at another celebrity example, take a look at Randy Jackson. He never lost all of his excess weight, and has been steadily regaining. It's not fool-proof.

Weight loss surgery is one tool, but it's by no means a panacea for obesity. It's much more complicated than that.

[sweeps]

I know a woman who had gastric bypass surgery last year. She has lost a substantial amount of weight, of course, and looks much better than before the surgery. Obviously, people notice the change and comment about it to her. They ask what she did to lose the weight and she doesn't mention the surgery. She just says that she joined a gym and has been working out and watching her diet.

No one's business but hers. I'm not sure how else she could respond without seeming like a jerk.

[cschin4]

So what say you? Should she answer honestly or is it okay for her to continue to lie about how she was able to drop the weight?

I don't think the fact that she had surgery is anybody else's business. She has no obligation to disclose her personal details to anyone just because they ask. I think her answer is fine and she is not going around "lying". She is merely deflecting questions that are nobody's business. Most people are merely just complimenting her and making conversation. And, she is not promoting herself as a health professional so it really isn't her job to "promote and encourage the fight against obesity".
While you may feel comfortable discussing your personal life with others she may not.