BATTLING OBESITY
WITH SURGERYFighting her weight has been a life-long battle
for Lynn Greenberg. Convinced her excess weight will eventually
kill her, she recently underwent drastic surgery. Despite trying all kinds of diets and having her jaw
wired together, Lynn Greenberg from Manchester still weighs twenty stone
at only five foot three inches. She happily admits to loving her food, saying, "I鈥檒l
go into a caf茅 and I鈥檒l order two doughnuts rather than a meal. That鈥檚
a typical thing I鈥檇 do." "It鈥檚 a vicious circle. The fatter you get, the more
you eat." Family Concern  | | Gerry and Lynn
Greenberg on their wedding day |
At 55 years old, Lynn鈥檚 years of comfort eating are taking
their toll on her heart and joints. Her family believes that she is eating herself into an
early grave. Her husband Gerry says, "How often do you see people
of 80 years of age who weight as much as Lynn? Their hearts give way.
How much longer can she take it?" Gerry recalls fonder days when they met in a club in
1968 and weight was not such a problem. "She was very beautiful. I was
very proud to be with her because so many guys used to look at her!" Procedure | | Surgeons
reduce Lynn's stomach size |
Lynn needs to lose at least eight stone. She is pinning
her hopes on a gastric bypass procedure. Costing 拢10,500, it will reduce Lynn鈥檚 stomach
to a fifth of it鈥檚 present size. The operation, performed at the Bupa hospital in Leeds,
will vastly reduce the amount Lynn is able to eat. It will also stop fats and carbohydrates being absorbed
into her body. The beginning Lynn puts the start of her weight gain down to the time
following the birth of her two daughters. She began experiencing chronic headaches and
says that the tablets she was prescribed increased her appetite and the
pounds piled on. Lynn says, "Diets didn鈥檛 work because I didn鈥檛 stick
to them." "I had my jaws wired. I lost two stone and I had to take
them off because I couldn鈥檛 stand the pain. I very quickly put it back
on."
Motivation| Obesity Facts | It causes 30,000 deaths a year in England alone. 19% of Britons are obese. 39% are overweight. Adult obesity rates have tripled since 1982. People are classed as obese if they have a body
mass index over 30. It can lead to health problems including: - Arthritis
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
|
The stomach bypass surgery is Lynn鈥檚 last chance at shedding
her excess weight. She has plenty of motivation in the form of her four
grandchildren. Lynn says, "I want to do all the things that a good grandmother
does." "I spend a lot of time with them but all I ever
do is sit and I can鈥檛 get down on the floor." "I want to be here to see them grow up." ProgressJust three weeks after the operation, Lynn has already
shed two and a half stone. But there is still a long way to go.The
weight won鈥檛 just fall off. Healthy eating and significant willpower on Lynn鈥檚 part
are essential to make Lynn victorious in this final battle with obesity. | 
听听Inside Out - North West: Monday 24th February, 2003
听听REALPLAYER REQUIRED