Tag Archives: coalition

Response to ’20/20 Episode on 5/11: Losing It, The Big Fat Trap’

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The build up to this episode was strong. The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery sent an email to their membership and posted it on their website. The Obesity Action Coalition posted it on their social media outlets. I posted the reminder on our social media sites.

Dr. Robin Blackstone as President of the ASMBS gives multiple interviews. She is, after all, an expert in the field of metabolic and bariatric surgery. She represents an organization of thousands of surgeons, nurses, dietitians, exercise physiologists, physical therapists and psychologists dedicated to the care and treatment of those with obesity and severe obesity.

When I first heard they were pulling the segment with Dr. Robin Blackstone and Melting Mama, I thought it was so they could dedicate an entire episode to bariatric and metabolic surgery and how it is a life saving treatment for so many. Instead we got a 60 minute long sensationalistic expose on practices those of us who are healthcare professionals working diligently to help those with obesity and severe obesity would never support!

Lose 90 pounds in 90 days!
NOT!

Allow me to illustrate and elaborate on a few points your so called “reporting” missed.

1. There is no magic bullet, miracle discovery or new breakthrough cure for obesity.

2. Obesity is a life-long, multi-factorial, complex, chronic disease process that requires life-long, multi-factorial treatment by dedicated and experienced healthcare professionals.

3. Dobb-hoff tubes and tube feedings are for individuals who are either too sick or too malnourished to sustain their nutrient intake, it is not for weight loss.

4. Celebrities who represent various commercial weight loss programs have access to personal trainers, chefs, therapists and countless others in addition to the pre-packaged food provided while “on the program.”

5. Bariatric (weight loss) surgery is not only safe, it is life-saving when performed by experienced and skilled bariatric surgeons.

  • There are criteria that must be met to have bariatric surgery.
  • The criteria were established by the National Institute of Health in 1991.
  • Comprehensive Center of Excellence programs include access to Certified Bariatric Nurses, Registered Dietitians, Exercise Physiologists and Psychologists or other Behavioral Health Experts.
  • Laparoscopic bariatric surgery has been performed safely and effectively for over a decade.
  • Hundreds of thousands of successful bariatric surgery patients are not only surviving, they are thriving. I am one of them.
  • You interviewed one of them, Beth (AKA Melting Mama).

6. Instead of taking the opportunity to provide factual information from an expert on the most effective treatment we have at present for severe obesity and highlight the recent studies in the New England Journal of Medicine regarding how effectively bariatric surgery treats type 2 diabetes, you chose to “reveal” an expose on two surgeons. This story has been in the news for nearly a year. 

 


I am completely disappointed, irritated and flat out disgusted at the so called “journalism” that went into this ABC 20/20 episode. They completely and totally missed the opportunity to focus on legitimate, successful medically [and surgically] appropriate treatment for obesity and severe obesity. Instead I felt like I was watching a rogue episode of Entertainment Tonight.

Not good ABC, not good-shame on you.  ’20/20: Losing It: The Big Fat Trap’

BariBelle

I’m Curious

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Nearly four years ago I attended a conference where one of the sessions included an overview of social media, specifically Facebook. I came home from the conference, spent a couple of hours online and created my Facebook profile as well as a page for the bariatric program where I work. At that same time, I gave Twitter a try, set up my profile, etc. and I just didn’t get it! I deleted my account and pretty much kept wondering what all the hype was about. Eventually, I started watching some videos (you know, the cute kitten and puppy type) on YouTube. Then I discovered cooking videos, then videos by lots of people I know in the bariatric field, so I expanded my profile to actually have a channel for both me and my work.

In April of 2011, I had the opportunity to attend Obesity Online, an event sponsored by Ethicon Endo-Surgery and the Obesity Action Coalition with the featured guest speaker being Melissa Lierman Melissa, AKA “Time Out Mom” was an awesome speaker on social media. I could have easily listened to her for oh, two or three weeks! After hearing Melissa and her helpful hints, tips and suggestions, I decided to give Twitter another try. I beefed up our Twitter feeds at work and have now created my own Twitter profile once again. This past week, I was part of an awesome experience at work. We tweeted live from the OR our first two robotic assisted bariatric surgeries! Super cool.

So realizing how much I interact with social media personally and how much our bariatric community interacts with social media, I’m really curious which ones do you use? Which ones do you like best? Least? I’m asking that you please take the poll below and also post in the comments which social media outlets you like best and why.

Please feel free to connect with me via any/all of the following!
Via Facebook as BariBelle (my personal page, it’s new and needs some likes)
Like/Follow my work page Centennial Center for the Treatment of Obesity for hints, tips, recipes, and reminders for both surgery and non-surgery folks
Via Twitter as BariBelle (my personal Twitter account)
Via work Twitter posts from Centennial Center for the Treatment of Obesity (Work Twitter account and where you will find the live tweets from the OR by searching hashtag #cmcwls then “select all posts”)
Via my YouTube Channel BariBelleCBN (I’m going to be adding videos over the next few weeks)
Via our Centennial Center for the Treatment of Obesity YouTube Channel (video testimonials, procedure videos, and lots of other cool stuff)
Via Google+ (I’m really new to this one and not getting the hang of it too quick, so I could really use your help!)

I’m really excited to hear/see/read your thoughts on which social media outlets are your favorite and why. I’ll be keeping up with you via Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube and whatever is new and exciting!

BariBelle

Procrastin-a-a-tion, it’s making me wait.

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It’s not like I purposefully put things off…well, maybe I do a little bit. When you are a bit of a perfectionist and a tad impatient (I prefer things done right, the first time, five minutes ago), it can make for a complex situation when you have multiple projects and multiple deadlines. As it is in so many things in life, you have to learn how you work best. What I have learned is when I finish something really early, I will continue to go back and nitpick it to pieces trying to make it “better.” I’ve also learned I do my best work under a moderate amount of pressure. You know when you get to that moment where you realize, “Holy smokes, if I don’t get this finished in the next few hours, XYZ will happen or not happen?” That moment where you’re heart rate is up a little, you purge your world of all, or at least most, distractions, knuckle down and “get ‘er done.” That’s when I go at it like I’m killing snakes and wind up with a great finished project. There’s not time to obsess over which type of font to use or which photo looks best. There’s not time to second guess what you ‘coulda, ‘shoulda, ‘woulda done if you had more time because you’ve mentally cleared all the distractions out of the path.

I know you may be thinking my life would be much less stressful if I just moved that whole process up by a few hours, or days, or in some cases weeks. I prefer to think of it as my daily prioritization. It’s not like I don’t intend to start earlier, there just tends to be a new priority that comes in every day and when something isn’t due yet, it’s easier to put that off. Like this blog. My plan was to type it up Wednesday so it was ready to post today. However, Wednesday I had to work on the presentations that I needed to review on Thursday before presenting on Friday, and well, there it goes.

Today begins our annual Obesity Action Coalition board retreat so you may not hear from me again until Sunday.