Food shortage? What food shortage?

The other night, Jay Leno joked that we, in this country, simultaneously have an obesity crisis and a food shortage. “Shouldn’t those two cancel each other out?” he joked.

It’s sad because it’s true.

The one comfort I can take in having gained back most of the weight I originally lost on Atkins years ago is that I am NOT alone. Statistics show that the vast majority (I’ve heard as high as 95%) of people who lose weight will gain it all back at some point. Why? I believe it’s our society: fish gotta swim, Americans gotta eat (a lot!). Everywhere you turn, food is affordable, easy to get, easy to fix, and might good eatin’ too. Problem is, the easiest and cheapest food to acquire isn’t always the best for you. McDonalds, Wendy’s, Burger King, Krispy Kreme — the drive-thru is tantamount to instant food porn. We want it all and we want it right now. And that’s not even touching on the emotional side of obesity, the social outcasting, the self-medicating, all that.

Hey, I can say it, because I’m right there. I know.

And, like I said, I’m not alone. Even people who have half their stomachs cut out don’t get a free pass. Take, for instance, the case of singer Carnie Wilson. Originally over 300 pounds, she famously opted for Gastric Bypass Surgery several years ago and lost half her body weight. Watching her in photos over the years, her weight has fluctuated up and down a bit, but only recently ballooned more than halfway back to where she was. She blames it on baby weight, but I’ve seen this too often before—that’s not all there is to it.

Another companion in weight regain is Al Roker, yet another famous proponent of the Gastric Bypass procedure. He’s gained back quite a lot of the weight he’d originally lost, but it seems to have stabilized for now. I hope for his sake he’s getting some help pulling it under control. I’ve read that a lot of people who lose a great deal of weight like this, find themselves regaining and feeling too ashamed to seek help. I recognize myself in that statistic too.

The gastric bypass procedure is not an easy-out like many people think.

I personally know quite a few people who have had the surgery, all of whom have gained back at least some of the fat they originally lost. One gained it all back and then some. Another never lost more than 50 pounds and is struggling to keep that small amount off. Yet another finds her weight is creeping back up in 10 pound increments, and is absolutely panicked that she won’t be able to stop it before it’s too late. Problem is, with half these patients’ guts cut out, there’s only so much they can do to combat the problem, and it’s complicated by the nutritional deficiencies created by the original surgery.

Many still insist that the surgery was worth it. Even a few days at normal weight is worth it. How said is it that our society so outcasts fat people that having a painful surgical procedure that isn’t 100% effective is worth it for just a few days of normalcy? Wow.

Me? I’m gearing myself up for a renewal of my Atkins vows if for no other reason than my health. I’m sick of getting winded going up the stairs. I’m tired of not being able to bend over freely with that damned belly fat in the way. And, from an ego standpoint. I’m terrified of wearing short sleeved shirts in the office because my fat, flabby arms will be that much more obvious (hah! as if nobody’s noticed I’ve gained a few pounds!!)

I don’t want to restart the diet right now because of all the stress I’m under with work. Yeah, that sounds like a cheap copout even as I write it, but the way I look at it, it’s better to be realistic about it than start a new diet and regain all the weight yet again. Yo-yo dieting is where the real hazards are.

Losing weight has to be done when I’m ready to do it and wear my “Go To Hell” glasses to filter out what the rest of the world thinks! It’s a lifelong change—even people who have physically altering procedures can’t keep it off. Obesity is a chronic disease that requires a daily commitment on the part of the individual to eat properly EVERY DAY and diet and exercise for a lifetime.

Oh man, it’s good to know I’m not alone, but this is too depressing. I need a cookie!