Uneducated Opinion?

Okay, RNYers, tell me what you think. 

Makeisha Lee is apparently a health and nutritional advisor who writes for Blacknews.com.  Now, granted, I am not a black person, but black, white or purple, I think her article leaves something to be desired.  It reads as follows:

Is Randy Jackson The Next "Weight-Loss" Idol? 

By Makeisha Lee, Health and Nutritional Advisor

Randy Jackson, the Black male host of one of America’s most popular TV shows “American Idol” just dropped a ton of weight, and a new book to go along with it.

Randy sites the reason for doing so was prompted by his health scare of a diagnosis of Diabetes. This comes as no surprise to the African American community considering that we lead in the highest incidences of this life threatening disease. However what is shocking is the fact that this popular TV figure has opted to use Gastric Bypass surgery to end his fat person woes.

From Star Jones to Muhammad Ali’s daughter and other well-know Black celebrities, this horrific trend is increasing in numbers and popularity within the Black community.

This preferred method of “butchery” to lose weight is the new quick fix that poses so many more health risks to the candidate in question, than the ones they are trying to avoid. It is clear that even when one has an overflow of resources, money, expert fitness trainers and top-notch nutritionists at their disposal that the quick fix is often chosen. So what’s wrong with that?

Here are 2 main thoughts to ponder:

1) Since gastric bypass surgery involves re-routing the bowel, it creates potential blockages down the road that one has to deal with “for life”, per Dr. Andrew Larson who happens to be quite skilled at performing these types of surgeries.

2) You absolutely will end up with nutritional deficiencies and digestion problems, which can lead to a variety of other health problems. You may also experience symptoms that will appear post-operatively like, frequent vomiting, eye movement irregularities and more.

Beyond the obvious dangers that weight loss surgery pose to the overweight person, what kind of message is this sending to the greater public? The real problem is not being addressed! Nonetheless, the message is, “go get this surgery, eat what you want, you don’t get as fat again but you still end up with a disease ridden body from unhealthy food choices – only a skinnier one!"

Black America has enough ways to die without even trying! It is foolish to take such a risk just to lose some weight when there are other safer, healthier and more effective ways to skinning that cat!

The time is ripe for us to stop using these band-aid remedies that only serve to correct one problem while creating hundreds more. Best wishes to Randy Jackson, but the consensus is that he is no “Idol” when it comes to losing weight. The hundreds of un-sung heroes out there that have lost a hundred or more pounds through proper nutrition and exercise should be hailed the real “American Idols”!

As I have so much trouble keeping my opinions to myself, I emailed Ms. Lee the following:

"go get this surgery, eat what you want, you don't get as fat again but you still end up with a disease ridden body from unhealthy food choices – only a skinnier one!"

The above may be YOUR message, but it is certainly not the message of any well educated person who researches this surgery before making an educated choice to have it.  That quote has so many assumptions and incorrect information that it is offensive to my sensibilities.  That quote proves to me that you have not done your homework before writing those words.  Why?  Because you cannot eat "what you want" after surgery and you can get fat, as fat again or even fatter if you don't play by the rules.  Playing by the rules diminishes your chances of any post-op problems and the "disease ridden body" is only your opinion based on...well, I don't even know what.  Maybe you just pulled that one out of your nether region or something. 
 
If you are against gastric bypass surgery, fine.  It is certainly your right to be against whatever you would like to be against.  But next time, maybe you should do your homework and write an article based on all the facts, not just the ones you want and decide to put your own spin on.
Thank you,
Kim

Of course, it also grates on my last nerve that she hints that having WLS is "the easy way out" in her last sentence.  Again, those of us who have had surgery don't do any work to get the weight off or keep it off and having major surgery was the equivalent of going to a spa and having a massage. 

If anyone else would like to comment her on her article, her email address is with the article here.  I don't mind that people have opinions, but I do mind when common sense doesn't rule the things they write about or that they can only see something one way; their way.