One Size Never Fits All

No one knows better than fat people (and former fat people) that an article of clothing with a size tag reading "one size fits all" is some of the falsest advertising out there. And even worse is, "one size fits most." Read: "one size fits pretty much everyone but not you, fatty, so don't sue us for false advertising, K?"

So... to see an advertisement for bariatric surgery which claims that bariatric surgery is the superior treatment to GLP-1 medication for the disease of obesity... grinds my gears for ALL the reasons. But, chief among them is that a company claiming to be an advocate for fat people by providing them treatment for the disease of obesity... is, inadvertently, claiming that one size fits all! That one treatment is going to work for every person out there who deals with the disease of obesity and wants to intentionally lose weight! Don't you think we know better than ANYONE that one size NEVER fits all?!

What provoked this crusade? Anthony and I were recently driving home from visiting family in Massachusetts, and I noticed a series of billboards along the I-95 corridor in Connecticut for the New York Bariatric Group, with the following tagline (I was driving, so I could not snap a photo):

52 shots a year... vs. one surgery.

I tried to find an electronic version of the ad once we got home, without any success; however, a series of Google searches showed me that:

A) The New York Bariatric Group does, in fact, offer GLP-1 medications (or as they call them, "weight loss injections") with their own label.

B) Other obesity doctors out there on Instagram and TikTok subscribe to the "52 shots vs. one surgery" theory.

Now let me be clear here first. I am NOT anti-bariatric surgery -- clearly, I cheered for and supported Remi Bader when she announced her bariatric surgery. Some of my friends and family members have undergone bariatric surgery with great results. They have lost the weight and kept it off. I have also seen folks not keep the weight off, but at the same time, I've seen people I know personally not have success with GLP-1 medications.

However, that's exactly the point I'm trying to make. To make a blanket statement declaring bariatric surgery superior to "52 shots," when those same shots are legit being marketed with your label on your website, tells me all I need to know about your program. It is an absurd statement to make -- not to mention misleading, as the billboard was simplistic and could lead anyone without expertise to believe that the New York Bariatric Group is anti-GLP-1 medication. Additionally, after checking out their website, it seems to me like the New York Bariatric Group will sell any treatment to any obese person -- that ridiculous billboard just gets their feet in the door.

Some people with the disease of obesity have long-term success with bariatric surgery and others don't. Some people with the disease of obesity take GLP-1 medications and need to stay on the meds for life in order to keep the weight off -- that does NOT make those folks "devoid of will power;" rather, their cases prove how very real food noise is. Some folks with the disease of obesity don't pursue medical intervention and achieve success in intentionally losing weight. In other words, one size does NOT fit all!

To another point -- while I am by no means a medical professional, I believe that there are some obesity cases where bariatric surgery is the best viable starting point in a treatment journey, but that a GLP-1 medication should be part of the plan post-surgery. Surgery jump-starts weight loss, but for some, it does not eliminate food noise. I can remember a case featured on the Oprah special in which a teenager (and her family) opted for bariatric surgery as treatment. But, post-surgery, her doctor prescribed her Saxenda, which is a pill-form GLP-1 and the only GLP-1 medication approved for anyone under age 18. The combination of bariatric surgery as well as Saxenda led this teenager to lose tremendous amounts of weight in a healthy manner. She jump-started her weight loss with the surgery, and was able to sustain it thanks to Saxenda eliminating food noise.

Again, for some obesity patients, surgery is enough, because the shrinking of your stomach that occurs with bariatric surgery forces the retraining of your brain to not overeat. Or maybe seeing the results of the surgery is the catalyst for wanting to continue an intentional weight loss journey. But for others, it isn't enough, because it doesn't work on the chemicals in your brain that invoke obsessions and compulsions surrounding food.

I did not think that bariatric surgery was the best route to treat the disease of obesity in me, and there's a possibility that I will need a GLP-1 medication for life (or, for as long as my insurance provider allows me take one). I was asked, multiple times, if I wanted to pursue bariatric surgery -- as at 300+ pounds I definitely was a candidate. But the thought of surgery felt completely daunting, especially as someone who needed two major surgeries to fix a broken leg. I'll take my 52 shots a year if it means no food noise and continued intentional weight loss, thank you very much. But, that's not everyone's obesity experience -- there are some folks who would say that bariatric surgery alone saved their lives.

All of the above data, collected informally by me based on my own experiences, the experiences I've watched in real life, and admittedly, some of the experiences I've seen on television (don't ask me how many episodes I've watched of My 600-lb Life) prove the original point: one size does not fit all in terms of treatment for the disease of obesity. Bariatric surgery is not "better than" GLP-1 medications, and vice versa. Some patients opt for one or the other while some opt for a combination of both. Some opt for no medical treatment for the disease of obesity. And all are OKAY. All are valid. Shame on you, New York Bariatric Group, and all of the Instagram/TikTok Docs who are pushing the "52 shots" narrative.