Al Roker & Matt Lauer as Siegfried & Roy

[MaxNY]

I missed this one, but according to this week's National Enquirer, (November 19, 2002) Al Roker and Matt Lauer dressed up as Siegfried and Roy on the Halloween edition of the "Today" show. From the picture it appears as if they were with their Vhite Tigers, (Household cats).

[Pete Biro]

Roker lost 100 pounds... any idea what diet? Of course he's still HUGE. :D :eek: :D

[Steve V]

The wife says he had that surgery that rings the stomach or something like that (ala Carney Wilson). I need to lose about 100 pounds, I think I'm going to try excercise and eating right...it's crazy enough to just work.
Steve V

[Terry]

On yesterday's TODAY, Al talked about his stomach staple surgery. Just before Al's dad died, he made Al promise to lose weight because of his own health problems.

They staple off a smaller stomach section and shorten/attach the shorter intestines to the new stomach. Al said he's lost either 102 or 120 lbs so far and is down to 230 or 240 now. Al plans on losing more weight with diet/exercise.

Coming from a personal trainer background, with a smaller stomach, you eat less and with shorter intestines, you absorb less fat. Problem comes in with the shorter intestines. In addition to absorbing less fat, you would also absorb less nutrients. I wonder if an additional vitamin/mineral supplement regimen is also needed?

[Guest]

Terry-

Not trying to make this a health forum, but you are absolutely right...he will be on an increased vitamin regiment for the rest of his life.

[Kendrix]

This is called "Bariatric Surgery". It should be used only as a last resort for weight loss. The potential side effects can be great. These mobidly obese people can also die as a result of the surgery.

[Bill Mullins]

I have a close relative who underwent this surgery 2 months ago, already lost over 50 lbs.

Yes, it is serious stuff. Fatalities during surgery are about 1 - 2%. He had to undergo fairly intensive counseling and psychiatric consultation before he could have the surgery. It was nearly a year from when he made the decision until he actually had the surgery.

Fortunately his complications have been small (severe, regular vomiting can be one side effect -- he had 24 anti-nausea pills at $9 a pop (after insurance) that he never had to use).

He had tried dieting, excercise, etc. to lose weight. He is in his late thirties and was well over 100 lbs overweight -- his prospects for becoming an old person weren't too good, so for him the risk was acceptable. I've talked to people who felt like it was the best thing they've ever done, read about others for whom it was a disaster (see: http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/ ... 175890.xml )

[Eric Rose]

A co-worker of mine went through this surgery about 4 years ago. She dropped about 50 pounds, but then never lost any more, leaving her in the 350 pound range. If you don't follow the diet, its not the cure-all some people tout it as.

[Terry]

Eric,

Following the diet is the key. Not being a doctor, I would think that if you overeat after the surgery, the stomach would adapt and expand thereby negating the benefits of the surgery.

Dave,

Thanks for the confirmation. The increased supplements aren't something they talk about when this "weight loss" solution is discussed.

[Matthew Field]

I tried do-it-yourself stomach stapling, but it hurt like hell. Anyone got a staple remover and some iodine?

Matt Field

[Guest]

I tried stapling my own stomach too, but I couldn't get through all the fat. Anyone know where I can find some long staples? --Asrah

[Pete Biro]

Friend of mine borrowed his dog's muzzle. :eek:

[Pete Biro]

Hmmm... one of my "Bogus Belts" (Chastity Belts) cut down, worn on your head would keep you from eating (unless you got the 7th key)! :D :eek: :D

[Kendrix]

The folks who get this operation can learn to get around the stapling in many ways. A favorite is to drink milkshakes constantly. The reservoir (pouch) can be stretched somewhat so that 2nd Twinkie will eventually go down. I have seen one patient "rupture" the pouch with Alka-Selzer. They eventually died of multiple oragn failure.
When you factor in the age of these people (20-30's) a death rate of 1-3% is very high. It is higher then coronary artery bypass.

[Jonathan Townsend]

AAARGH! That's horrible. It takes the moment from 'Meaning of Life' where the waiter brings out a mint... 'Its wafer thin' and, and...
a twinkie? well that almost makes up for 'the twinkie deffense'. Almost.

Does this mean this operation is becomming more common? That just eating a bit less and being more active have become passe?

[Terry]

Does this mean this operation is becoming more common? That just eating a bit less and being more active have become passe?

Actually Jonathan, it appears to be the "magic" diet pill people are looking for. As a past personal trainer, clients wanted the fastest way to get into shape and lose weight. Out of desperation, I would tell them they didn't gain the weight overnight so they can't expect to lose it overnight.

This type of surgery is another in the long line of "microwave", want it in a second, don't want to have to do anything myself answers. Says alot about the human "condition" today.

[Kendrix]

Terry: You hit the nail right on the head. I always thought it was ridiculous to trade an abnormal situation created surgically for a psychological (in most cases) problem. The "public" wants immediate results and they want it yesterday, Why do you think most magic tricks say: "No practice required"? I remember Vernon saying in one of the Videonics tapes that self working tricks had no interest for him because any fool could do them.
Anyone can lose weight very simply if they burn more calories than they take in. The problem is this can require effort and sacrifice.

[Bill Mullins]

Originally posted by Kendrix:
Anyone can lose weight very simply if they burn more calories than they take in.

Are you overweight? This sounds like a simplistic statement from someone who has never struggled with the problem, or watched a loved one struggle with it.

Some peoples' metabolisms, for whatever reason, are out of whack. Some have medications that encourage weight gain. Some are genetically predisposed to obesity. Some people have, as you referred to earlier in your post, psychological problems about eating. For some it is an addiction. Some people (like myself) have evolved into a lifestyle that has little time for proper food preparation (i.e., McDonalds for lunch instead of having made a healthy meal and brought it to work), or exercise. These lifestyles have commitments to family, jobs, and other activities that can't be turned off like a switch (or as you said, "simply"). Try spending a week in a hotel somewhere without eating foods that are bad for diabetics. No white bread (fast food is out). No starches (no cereals or hash browns at the breakfast buffet, no potato with steak, no rice at Chinese restaurants, no pasta). No sugars or simple carbohydrates (all snack foods). I work at it, but salad all day every day is a pretty strict regimen.

Eating unhealthily is almost always quicker, simpler, and (unfortunately) cheaper than eating healthily. Devoting several hours a week to exercise means giving up those hours somewhere else. We live in a society that barrages us with fast food ads, prepared foods at the store (loaded with salt, fats and sugars), that has coke machines in schools that give kickbacks to the schools. Restaurant meals have twice as many calories as they should. Soft drinks at the movies have grown from 16 oz in my youth to 32 oz standard to the "big gulp" that may go 64 oz.

If you are addicted to tobacco, drugs, or alcohol, it is possible to quit cold turkey. You can't do that with food -- you gotta eat. And every time you eat, you have to make a concious decision to reject something that everything about you and your world tells you to consume.

It ain't simple.

[Jonathan Townsend]

Originally posted by bill mullins:
If you are addicted to tobacco, drugs, or alcohol, it is possible to quit cold turkey. You can't do that with food -- you gotta eat.

What a load!!! And very nasty to confound the issues of addiction, metabolic problems, food allergies and basic health. These are truly Four seperate issues .

For the average joe, the basic issues are staying active and eating better. By eating better I'm only refering to eating nutritious foods (minimize refined sugar, white flour, lots of veggies) and not continuing to eat after one starts to feel full. This latter point is clouded by our cultural fascination with some foods that most of us are allergic to. Those we start to crave.

There are folks whose health has gotten to the point that medication or surgury is needed. It is good to know there are options when all else has failed.

[MaxNY]

Ummm, erhhh...Matt was Siegfried...and Al was Roy.

[Terry]

Bill M. - have you ever tried doing cardio first thing in the morning? Your body has depleted it's calorie reserve overnight and cardio first thing enhances the catabolic(?) process. Also the workout will help control hunger pains first thing in the morning.

Breakfast was aptly named meaning to Break-fast i.e. the overnight fast you subject your body to as you sleep.

Also 6 - 7 small meals per day each spaced 2-3 hours apart, keeps your metabolism up during the day and helps to avoid the yo-yo bounce of energy.

MaxNY - would you quit bringing us back around to the point! :D :D :D

[Matthew Field]

Originally posted by MaxNY:
Matt was Siegfried...and Al was Roy.

The walrus was Paul Cummins.

Matt Field

[Guest]

Boy, so much misinformation here (not misdirection :p ) I have had the surgery and I think I'm the best one here (so far) to comment on it. It has worked for me so far (I'm down 160 lbs in one year)and no other diet did. It is a last resort. My doctor has never had anyone die from the surgery (he does about 6 a week for the last 5 years.) is it fool proof? No they keep making better fools. You can get around it, you can drink milk shakes (but you will also suffer the side-effects from to much suger and fat called "Dumping") and eat Krispy-Kreams, and you will not lose weight. But if you eat normal( Higher protein is best)you can eat most things and get back to "Normal" It's the best thing I ever did for myself. you do have to take vitimns the rest of your life (not a big deal).
For anyone thinking of getting it done, feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

[Lance Pierce]

Originally posted by Terry Terrell:
This type of surgery is another in the long line of "microwave", want it in a second, don't want to have to do anything myself answers. Says alot about the human "condition" today.

Um, Terry, your post was a little too long for me to read. Can you condense it down for me?

Thanks,

Lance

;)

[Guest]

Originally posted by Terry Terrell:

Actually Jonathan, it appears to be the "magic" diet pill people are looking for. As a past personal trainer, clients wanted the fastest way to get into shape and lose weight. Out of desperation, I would tell them they didn't gain the weight overnight so they can't expect to lose it overnight.

This type of surgery is another in the long line of "microwave", want it in a second, don't want to have to do anything myself answers. Says alot about the human "condition" today.

Terry,
You are so wrong! I'm happy you have never had a weight problem. But please don't think that people that do, could just stop being overweight by eating less. That "microwave", I want it now. took me 40 years to do. you really have NO CLUE what it's like to have to deal with being mobidly obese.

[Joe M. Turner]

One of my closest friends at church had a surgical procedure (gastric bypass surgery) over the summer. She was profoundly obese, and had grown heavier and heavier even in the last few years. Her bones were getting to the point where she was almost unable to walk any significant distance.

Dieting? She tried several... and failed. And she hated herself for it. She had clearly developed an addiction for food as a psychological comfort. I don't know all the reasons, but I know that she was depressed, lonely, and no matter what she tried in terms of exercise and diet programs, she couldn't hang on.

She finally confessed to my wife and myself that she knew she would never lose weight if the controlling factor was her own will power. She didn't have it and the more she worried about it, the more she ate.

She was in counseling with her surgeon and in a support group for over a year before they would give her a surgery date. At least in this particular doctor's case, he does not pass out these surgery dates like candy. You have to go through a number of psychological exams and attend all kinds of meetings. It is definitely a life change... but it's one that goes beyond simple will power. She is now in a position where she knows she will be in immediate pain and even physical danger if she goes off her dietary plan. Will power is no longer the issue. She is full faster and the urge to eat more and more is gone.

She went through a bit of depression afterward but has bounced back. She has lost 99 pounds and looks like a different person... although she is still very overweight. By next Christmas, she may be down into a reasonable weight range for her height, age, etc. She will never be a model, but she can be a healthy, active person again. She is interested in dating again, she is participating in outside activities again, she has energy again, and she likes herself more.

I admit I thought it was a cop-out at first, but this is far from instant gratification. She had a life-changing decision to make, and her experience has shown me that it is certainly not an "easy way out."

Yes, I recommend diet and exercise as the route to losing weight. But I can see how this surgery may be a godsend for a certain population, and I don't begrudge them the opportunity to make that decision and live with the consequences. It is only their life at stake, both in the surgery and afterwards. And the rewards, at least for my friend, have far outweighed the risks. (No pun intended.) She was always alive, but now she's living again. Good for her.

JMT

[Terry]

Terry, You are so wrong! I'm happy you have never had a weight problem. But please don't think that people that do, could just stop being overweight by eating less. That "microwave", I want it now. took me 40 years to do. you really have NO CLUE what it's like to have to deal with being mobidly obese.

First of all Scott, Most have a weight problem at one time or another. I've never been obese by any means because I have more respect for myself than that and I don't use food as a crutch. Before the Troll flaming begins - I'm not saying all obese people lack respect for themselves.

Second - what I mean't about the "want it now" bunch is that this surgery will take the place of proper diet & exercise for the lazy people who are NOT obese but want to shed a few pounds. Obese people, for whatever reason, may need this for a LIFE saving reason, my post addresses the NON obese who want a quick fix.

[Richard Kaufman]

As a person who was thin for most of his life until middle age hit me in the face (135 pounds, 29 inch waist), I always wondered why fat people couldn't just eat less and lose weight.
The reality is, of course, far more complex. Some people just can't lose weight, no matter HOW little food they eat. Not every fat person you see on the street is going home to a dinner of three steaks, buttered potatoes, followed by an entire cake and two pies with a bag of chips to finish it off.
When you're not addicted to drugs, or food, or whatever, it's extremely easy to point to those who are and say, "Just cut it out!"Believe me: many of them would if they could.

[Dustin Stinett]

Originally posted by Terry Terrell:
I've never been obese by any means because I have more respect for myself than that and I don't use food as a crutch. Before the Troll flaming begins - I'm not saying all obese people lack respect for themselves.

Then what are you saying?

I once had a department manager tell me that I would never get ahead in the company because my weight left the impression that I lacked self respect and self control. He then went outside to have a cigarette.

Second - what I mean't about the "want it now" bunch is that this surgery will take the place of proper diet & exercise for the lazy people who are NOT obese but want to shed a few pounds. Obese people, for whatever reason, may need this for a LIFE saving reason, my post addresses the NON obese who want a quick fix.

You make it sound like a "Jenny Craig" operation: Pop in off the street, get your gastro-whatever-the-hell-it-is surgery.

1) I cannot believe that any doctor would perform surgery on someone who needs only to lose "a few" extra pounds (less than 75-100).

2) If a less than scrupulous doctor could be found, then the hospital where the surgery takes place would also have to agree to the procedure.

Dustin
(Doesn't think Terry is a Troll)

[Guest]

If you want something that will make you lose your appetite, watch the Ellusionist clip where he reveals the pass to a lay audience to "strengthen the effect"

:) ;)

[Brian Morton]

watch the Ellusionist clip where he reveals the pass to a lay audience to "strengthen the effect"

Puh-leeeeze, tell me you're kidding....

brian :cool:

[Lance Pierce]

Wellllll, not that this is one of them, but there are times when an apparent exposure can indeed strengthen an effect. Anyone remember Derek Dingle's presentation for the Cigarette Through Quarter?

LP

[Richard Kaufman]

Oh yes, Dingle's handling of that effect is one of the best twists of psychology in a close-up effect ever. If you don't remember it, it's in Richard's Almanac.
Hey, where the heck is Mike Gallo lately?

[Guest]

Rich and Jon, right on! A wonderful, compassionate--and rare--point of view. A a Clinical Psycholgist I can corroborate, the causes are multiple and as Jon mentions, at least four diferent problems are operating simultaneuosly.
but above and beyond that, I am struck with what a wonderful "extended family" (trite, I know) this group is. A Magical Forum in which individuals with health concerns can share! and receive support from their brethren? Amazing!!
Marty J. Kaplan

[Terry]

You make it sound like a "Jenny Craig" operation: Pop in off the street, get your gastro-whatever-the-hell-it-is surgery.

1) I cannot believe that any doctor would perform surgery on someone who needs only to lose "a few" extra pounds (less than 75-100).

2) If a less than scrupulous doctor could be found, then the hospital where the surgery takes place would also have to agree to the procedure.

Hey Dustin,
This type of surgery may be strictly controlled now, but as the technique becomes "commonplace",
you can bet it will become more easily available later on. The fear is of "doctors" cashing in and offering this to everyone as a weight loss idea.

Without question, as a last chance health/life saving device, the surgery has an important place.

[Dustin Stinett]

Well, I just don't ever see any insurance company being willing to pay for surgery so some guy can drop 30 pounds. Insurance companies are not philanthropic organizations. Even if and when they all come around and take the procedure off their elective surgery list (thus covering it 100%) you can bet that they will keep a tight rein over who and when.

Dustin

[Richard Kaufman]

I think the discussion about losing weight may have a place, but The Genii Forum is not it. This topic is now closed.

[Jonathan Townsend]

Originally posted by MaxNY:
Al Roker and Matt Lauer dressed up as Siegfried and Roy on the Halloween edition of the "Today" show..

Okay, is this picture available online? I have a caption I'd like to put under it in an email.