[honeychile]

I've known at LEAST 10-12 men and women who have had a gastric bypass in some form in the past few years. In the early stages, one had to be at least 100 pounds overweight, now it's a matter of BMI (body mass index). That means someone can be under 200 pounds, but if their height to weight ratio is off, they are still eligible for the surgery.

There are several different types of this surgery, and I'd be lying if I went into detail of each one, because I don't know about the style/name of each type. I do know that the bypass basically makes the stomach into a walnut-size pouch or bypasses it completely. After the surgery, the patient cannot ever drink soda pop, most sugars, and certain fats without having intense pain. In the early days, eating would cause the staples to come undone, wreaking havoc on the digestive system.

Instead of mocking someone desperate enough to have this surgery, why not work on banning soda pop, candy & snack machines at schools - when this problem starts for most people? Or campaign against the subliminal messages in the multitude of commercials that entice people to eat? Or, best yet, realize that "there but for the grace of God goes I"?