Joe Wexler’s Diet Didn’t Work, Will Gastric Bypass Surgery Save 770 Pound Man?

Joe Wexler’s diet now includes two full healthy meals per day with snacks in-between, which is a far cry from the 10,000 calories per day that he used to eat. Unfortunately, the 31-year-old, 770 pound man had to resort to gastric bypass surgery in order to recover his health, but how effective is this strategy for the super-obese?

In a related report by the Inquisitr, Joe Wexler’s diet came after years of being bullied for his weight. Although he has a successful job as an IT manager, his health problems eventually reached a crisis point.

“I have a very slow metabolism due to my thyroid being under active and even with proper medication it is not enough to help me lose the weight,” Wexler explained on his GoFundMe fundraiser page over a year ago. “I have been pretty much home bound for the last 10 months because I can’t walk far enough out my door to go anywhere not to say anything about driving my car, which is impossible, now. In short I am in a world of hurt and pain.”

Wexler says he picked up his bad eating habits early in life, and he honestly was surprised when he was told that ranch dressing and ice cream were not allowed as part of his new diet.

“Just about everything I eat is bad for me,” he complained. “I had no idea.”

The formerly 770 pound man explained that man of his dietary choices began with a strained relationship with his parents.

“I was allowed to do whatever I wanted, including choosing what to eat. The relationship between me and my dad was strained. I think buying those things [treats] was his way of dealing with me. I think I would have given up anything I had if he had paid me some attention and I felt like life was punishing me for some sin I didn’t commit. I ate to deal with my feelings and I never stopped.”

Working with a nutritionist, Joe Wexler’s diet allowed him to naturally drop down to 652 pounds, and he was also approved for gastric bypass surgery. Previously, his health insurance had denied this as an option, but doctors felt it was the only way he could become healthy.

According to the NIH, bariatric surgery is designed for those with extreme obesity problems, or for people who cannot lose weight by other means or who suffer from serious health problems related to obesity. Unfortunately, Wexler would be considered super-obese, and according to long-term studies, patients like him have a gastric bypass surgery success rate that is almost as bad as a coin flip.

“The obese and morbidly obese group achieved an excellent result, and the super-obese a good result…. This study of isolated gastric bypass with a 5.5-year follow-up rate of 88.6% revealed a success rate of 93% in obese or morbidly obese patients and 57% in super-obese patients.”

In the end, Joe Wexler’s diet over the long term, not surgery, will be the determining factor on whether he is successful. Rapid weight loss usually occurs with surgery, and while patients feel euphoria at reaching weigh loss goals, some of the super-obese will slip back into bad eating habits.

“Some have lost hundreds of pounds in a year or two, then it’s come back,” says Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom, according to WebMD. “They have the ability to lose weight, but they can’t keep it off.”

According to Atul Madan, the critical stage will be years after the surgery has taken place.

“Often, complications occur when patients become complacent,” Madan explained. “They stop making follow-up visits with their surgeon. Then they develop a problem five years after surgery.”

In the meantime, Joe Wexler’s diet has him riding high on life.

“Words can’t describe how I feel,” Joe said. “For the first time in a long time, I feel like I have hope.”

[Image via TLC]