Thursday August 23, 2007, 11:48 am
I would hold off on that opinion until I found out who sponsored the study. The last time there was a glowing report on WLS it was sponsored by the bariatric industry and excluded 50% of the participants who results made them look bad. All this study found was that 30% to 40% more WLS patients were alive after 10 years. Many would not even consider that statistically significant. What other factors came into play? WLS patients receive extensive follow up. Did the patients who did not get the surgery get as much medical care? Were they of the same social class? (WLS requires either health insurance or $$$.) Were the ones who did not receive surgery rejected somehow as bad candidates? More health problems to begin with? I can't get into the NEM right now, but the weight loss industry has a long history of manipulating studies in its own interest. This study also does not cancel out other studies that have found almost 5% of wls patients die within one year. The complications are numerous. If we weren't so hysterically antifat, we would understand how dangerous this butchery really is!