Obesity in Time of COVID-19

What has your life been like since COVID-19 came to town.  My thoughts have been consumed with a bit of fear and concern for me and my loved ones.  Watching the news and seeing the many patients on ventilators, the families not being able to see or visit their family while they are in their most vulnerable state is unimageable.

In addition to seeing the physical deaths by the thousands, to further impact the depressed state, then the death of livelihoods via job losses by the hundreds of thousands.  The closure of companies, restaurants and the service industry related jobs produced the inability to purchase food, pay rent, essential bills not to mention the depression from social distancing.  I am a hugger and like many, I enjoy being with friends, loved ones and meeting new people hence the borderline of depression that affects us all.  Everyone is being affected by this pandemic.  But as a post bariatric patient, we have done one thing right.

Did you know that nearly 40% of Americans are obese.  Obesity weakens the immune system.  Obesity also makes it difficult to ventilate patients.  The lung capacity for the body size is lowered and the body systems are going to have to work larder than someone that is lighter in pounds.  Obesity is a disease not a lifestyle choice because food is an addiction.  You have to work on what is above the mouth to successfully lose weight and not what goes in the mouth.

I endured all of the naysayers regarding having bariatric surgery and am now confident is my weight and all of the benefits that surgical weight loss has come to me.  Losing weight is extremely difficult without help.  If losing weight was easy, there would not be obesity at the present level.  I am now 7 years post surgery and have not regained the weight that was lost which was 140 pounds.  Talk with your medical professional and tell them of your struggles and that you are interested in surgical weight loss surgery to get you started on the road to better health.  We all must do everything we can to prevent acquiring COVID-19, but if we do, our body will be strengthen to fight a good fight.

Love yourself and your family enough to make the change.