I haven't had the surgery yet, but I will tell you that the reason is a combination of both. Right now at 275 pounds and size 22, I can't wait to be of normal weight and size again. I want to look great for myself and my husband. In the other hand, I also want to take the pain out of my knees, lower back and feet, be able to get down on the floor, play with my toddler and get up again without having to push myself up with difficulty.

I don't think that thinner people understand how an overweight person feels. When I was a size 9 I would have never thought about this, I even wonder how people let themselves be so big, and look at me now.

So, I don't think there is anything wrong to want to look great and feel even better. Support your mom and I wish her the best.

I had g.B. Surgery 6-1/2 yrs ago. Went from 230 # to 145#. (85 # loss). I had some complications. But don't regret it. It may be a tiny bit about vanity, but most people go through this surgery because thier wieght causes enough "pain" ,(physical and mental) that it is worth the risk of this surgery. Looking better is on the bottom of the list of reasons for the surgery. Anyone that is not obese wondering why anyone would have this surgery, put a 100 # fat costume on and try to walk around and do your normal activities. Then you will understand. People still say - gee, you could of died. Well I would rather be dead than where I was !!

My husband had the surgery two weeks ago tomorrow. He is starving. He had no complications with the surgery itself-no vomiting, never felt sick & back on his feet within days. He was around 300-should be about 190. Lost 20 pounds so far...

Why is he so hungry & how come he can eat so much-they said he would n't be able to

For the post about health vs. Vanity, I had the surgery on july 21, 2003 and it was the hardest and best decision of my life. I was 24 and had tried to lose weight for 5 years. I would write down everything I put in my mouth to include mints and count the calories. I would exercise everyday, sometimes 2 times a day. I tried diet drugs, low fat diets, no sugar diets, high protein diets, also just not eating. None of this was a healthy way to lose weight, but nothing else was working. So at 24 years old I weighed 232 lbs. And no matter what I did the scale kept going up. I was scared. So the reason most people have this surgery is that nothing else has worked and they are scared what will happen if they don't have the surgery. Looking good is at the bottom of the reason list. The main goal is to gain a healthy life, physically and mentally. I wish your mom all the best.

For the woman who's husband had the surgery two weeks ago, I would give the doctor a call and let him know what is going on. I know 2 weeks out I could not eat more than 2-3 bites of anything. I would definitely notify the doctor with any concerns. Good luck!