Should A Christian Have Weight Loss Surgery?
01/04/2013
"Helloâ¦I was wondering if I could have your opinion. Do you think surgery as a weight loss option is âagainst Godâ? I have struggled a long timeâ¦and am beginning to consider this option. Can it not be a blessing from God, having this technology and knowledge to even be able to have this done? I know God can move mountainsâ¦including my weight. Does my interest in this mean a lack of faith? I know it is a gray area since the Bible doesnât specifically discuss this topicâ¦but Iâd love to hear feedback from another Christian woman about this. I appreciate your wisdom, and please pray for me that I feel Godâs guidance. Also please pray for Him to free me from my obesity, and to know His will. "
The blogger replies:
"Hi Christine, Thank you for writing me! I saw your message just now and want to respond. You asked if I thought if weight loss surgery is âagainst God.â As you said, the bible doesnât specifically say anything about that so each believer needs to seek the Lord for themselves. But I can tell you the evaluation Iâve personally made. Surgeries are generally used as a tool to fix something that is broken. Do you believe that something is wrong with the way your stomach or digestive system functions? Or is the problem with your heart and mind and the obesity merely a side effect of your health habits? You see, I once counseled a woman years ago who had had weight loss surgery â but had gained all the weight she lost back.
She told me, âThe surgery fixed my stomach, but it didnât fix my head.â
That is what I want you to think about: What habits or conditions led you to become overweight? Will weight loss surgery deal with that? In my case, I became obese because of years of overeating as a means to manage my emotions. So having a doctor perform surgery to adjust the size of my stomach would not have helped me manage my emotions. It would not have helped me heal my emotional hurts nor my abandonment issues. I had to take that stuff to the Great Physician: Jesus. He healed me. It was a slow process and the weight didnât come off overnight. But come off it did! Through the process, I strengthened my relationship with God, learned even more how much He loved and accepted me, and gained inner peace. I wouldnât trade that experience for anything. Kathleen, I pray for Godâs wisdom to guide you in this decision."
That sounds reasonable, this is much of the same sort of thing that long-term bariatric patients tell pre-ops considering surgery after years of living the WLS life. "It doesn't fix your head."
Truth.
I cannot speak to the "against God" bit as I am not a believer. I would NEVER, EVER suggest to someone that they "pray for answers." (I have a neurological disorder, God isn't fixing it, nor did 'he/she' cause it.)
WLS does not fix your "head," or the psychological triggers for your massive weight gain.
WLS a temporary solution for the problem of morbid obesity and it's co-morbiditys and it WORKS in almost all cases, immediately. However, for many individuals the original issue returns because it was inside their heads.
The blogger doesn't suggest it though -- she says this:
Two things have also strengthened my thoughts on this issue. I just read an article in the Christian Post that caught my eye about the actress/singer Carnie Wilson entitled âCarnie Wilson Surgery for Weight Loss, Again.â It was the word âagainâ that stopped me in my tracks. I knew Ms. Wilson had had gastric bypass surgery before, but discovered from the article that she had gone back under the knife for lap band surgery after re-gaining the weight she lost from surgery the first time.
Thatâs the point; unless you deal with the issues and habits that caused you to gain weight in the first place, then a surgeonâs knife wonât fix it.
In addition, I saw a commercial for the Dr. Oz show in which he called gastric bypass surgery: âthe Underperformed Surgery You Should Be Getting.â I was appalled because Dr. Oz has great influence in the media and especially among women. Unless the obesity is caused by a physical issue with the digestive system that surgery can fix, and not by emotional issues and poor health habits, then I respectfully disagree with Dr. Oz.
My concern is that weight loss surgery carries its own risks, among them infections, hernias, and adhesions. I donât believe opening yourself up to these risks is optimal if there are natural alternatives available.
Again, itâs about dealing with the cause, not just erasing the symptom.
I know losing weight can be slow. I know changing habits can be hard and frustrating. I know it is painful to open up old wounds and face past hurts or abuse if your eating habits are tied to that. But I also know that there is nothing too hard for God.
It takes time, a lot of patience, and commitment to try new eating and exercise approaches until you find a healthy lifestyle that works for you. But if I had a choice between weight loss surgery and losing weight the slower way by practicing good health habits, Iâd choose the second option all day long because I love the person that Iâve become through the process.
To the lady I used to be who made the decision to lose weight the old fashioned way, I say âThank You.â