Exploratory Essay

Colie Rogers

Ms. McKoy

English 2

September 2, 2013

Exercise or Gastric Bypass?

            Should obese people who can help themselves, exercise or spend money on a gastric bypass? I think people who can help themselves should exercise instead of spending money on such a costly surgery. Obesity is a major problem in the whole world, mostly the United States. More than thirty five point seven percent of U.S. adults are obese. The yearly estimated cost of the medical cost in America was one hundred and forty-seven billion dollars. I have an obese friend who used to be actively involved in sports and he would tell me that exercising helped him out.

            Studies have shown that people who have had the Gastric Bypass surgery have had multiple side effects. One of the major side effects is that most people get a divorce because of the big changes. They could also face changes such as: anemia, osteoporosis, suicide. They face suicide as a problem because of all the work they have to put in to keep the weight off. This surgery also can result in a dangerous potential of hypoglycemia (low blood glucose). In all, these are just a few effects that could, or possibly might happen when getting this surgery done.

            In my research I have found out the exercise is the best thing for obese patients. By exercising regularly, you help your body out because you are preventing yourself from getting any other diseases. This has been shown that exercising boosts your mood and helps you from being a depressed person. It’s also a very cheap way to lose weight then to spend money on very expensive surgery. Most researchers have said to just start slowly and look at the barriers that stop you from exercising. In the end, you are spending about thirty minutes of your day to benefit yourself and it cost a lot less.

            This is all just a common sense thing to me. Some people look at this as ‘I should just take the easy way out and get a surgery.’ What most people do not know is about the side effects that come with this. From exercising and being physically active you feel much better. I say this out of personal experience because not only do I exercise every day, but I push myself to strive for my goals. All you really need is a goal and some passion and in the end you will have lost more weight then you expected to lose to begin with.