Compare and Contrast Health and Wellness

Essay Rough Draft COM/155 March 24, 2013

Essay Rough Draft Today, everybody wants to lose weight and look better, but there are safe ways such as diet and exercise, and other ways such as high potency diet pills and gastric bypass surgery. I bring this up because I have witnessed firsthand what the difference in the weight loss methods has done to people. Some were my friends, and some were my family. Anybody who wants to lose some weight, could benefit from this essay, and possibly keep from making a bad or possibly even fatal decision. People need to know what they are getting themselves into if they take over-the-counter weight loss supplements. Dieters need to know things about weight loss supplements that the nutrition centers don’t want them to know. Diet and exercise are the only way to safely lose excess weight, and if truly committed to it, people will find an amazing sense of pride and accomplishment fallowing each workout. Taking a prescription for a weight loss pill is a much safer route than going to your local drugstore and getting one that no one knows anything about. Working with a doctor or physician who knows the person and their weight loss needs is the safest way. Even with FDA (food and drug administration) approval, the long term effects of these pills are unknown. This is really an option only looked at for those considered to be “obese” and with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater. It is also called upon when the BMI is 35 or greater and someone has a life threatening disease such as type II diabetes, and cannot manage their weight on their own. These pills are usually amphetamine-based and are therefore addictive. They are only meant to be used for a short period of time. If you have any history of addiction in your family or carry any addictive traits, a person should consult their physician before taking these pills. Side effects include, but are not limited to, high blood pressure, dry mouth, constipation, and insomnia. Surgery, such as Gastric Bypass surgery, has its pros and cons as well, but is a safer alternative to taking pills. In this surgery, a person is cut open in one of two ways. One way is to make a large cut in the stomach area big enough to open up and work inside. The other is to use today’s technology to go in through a small incision and use cameras to perform the procedure. What is taking place here, is most of the stomach is being eliminated, and tied directly into the midway point of the small intestine. The size of the stomach is reduced to about the size of an egg. The egg-sized stomach, combined with bypassing the portion of the small intestine that pulls all of the nutrients from the food eaten to fuel your body, are in turn going to cut weight. It will take much less food to feel full. This is a good procedure for those considered to be obese, or morbidly obese. It has positive effects in that a person will lose the weight they are looking to lose. Some of the negative side effects are that people often have to watch their vitamin and nutrient levels closely because they are no longer allowing the small intestine to pull them from the food that is ingested. Even after all of the weight loss, one will still have to figure out what to do with the extra skin that is now hanging from the body. This will inevitably call for another surgery. I have a friend who went through this and said that he was happier with himself when he was overweight and didn’t have the extra skin to deal with. The only 100% safe way to lose weight and live a better life is to maintain a healthy diet and exercise program. I have been a person who could eat whatever I wanted at any time I wanted to. I would even have bets with people as to just how much food I could eat. That is all starting to change with my age. As I get older I find it harder to keep my body in shape. What used to be simply waking up and doing whatever it was that I wanted to do, would turn into having to pay more attention to what I eat, and exercise on a regular basis. This is not something that was comfortable to me to do. I used to think that just doing my high intensity job was going to keep me lean. This is the common misconception of a high number of dieters today. A healthy life starts with examining what it is that is put into the body daily. A good way to start is to give up the simple “pleasures” such as soda, candy, junk food, and fast food. Replace these things with a packed lunch including a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a bottle of water. I began doing a workout program at home, and made a commitment to make myself better. I told close friends about what I was doing so that I had support, and as it turns out, they wanted in on the healthy lifestyle. There is no better motivator than knowing someone is counting on me being there to work out with them. I have often thought of taking the easy way out and turning to pills and surgery, but then think of the negative effects and consequences, and am turned back to the safe, healthy way. In conclusion, I want people to know that not only can they do whatever they want for their health and wellness, but also be the very thing that someone else needs to see in order to make the commitment to change their lives. Now knowing what some of the pros and cons of diet pills and surgery are, and the simple steps necessary to work a healthy diet and exercise into life, people can make a better, more informed choice. What are you going to do for yourself today? What are you going to show someone else?

References 3fatchicks.com. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.3fatchick.com/5-dangers-of-diet-pills/ WebMD. (2005-2013). Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/diet/weight-loss-surgery/gastric-bypass

References: 3fatchicks.com. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.3fatchick.com/5-dangers-of-diet-pills/ WebMD. (2005-2013). Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/diet/weight-loss-surgery/gastric-bypass