It seems to me that every fat American on the planet is undergoing or wanting to undergo 'gastric bypass surgery' or liposuction. Ok, I admit that's putting it a bit harshly, and maybe it's a bit of an exaggeration too, but I am starting to get pissed off hearing about this all the time. You can't turn on the television without seeing a commercial for one or the other.

How did I get started with this rant? Well, I just read about a post from a pre-operative transgender woman who is seems more concerned about some doctor or some nurse being insensitive ("you're not a 'real' woman") to her declared identity when she goes for her gastric bypass surgery than she seems to be about the fact that she's allowed herself to get to a ridiculous weight of 260lbs. She's opted for this shortcut so she can get smaller enough to get her gender reassignment surgery because apparently she can't find someone to operate on her at this size. In other posts, she's claimed that being this big is part of her 'male genetics'. Yeah right. Is that why she was 'only' 200lbs in 2004 and then packed on an additional 60lbs since then? Well, here's what the words from her own mouth:

My difficulty with weight issues comes from several sources. One of those sources is my heredity. Most of the men in my family started out life fairly thin in their early twenties, but then ballooned up significantly in their mid-forties. And as a (presumably) chromosomal male, at my peak I weighed more than twice as much as I did than my first weigh-in in the Navy (at age 21). A second source of weight gain has been the medications I take for the myriad of minor to moderate chronic conditions that I have. Many of these medications I've been taking over the past five years have had weight gain as a side effect. And lastly -- well, I like food. I especially like exotic foods. I'm sure loving exotic foods has something to do with my long term weight gain. (read the rest)

Here's what a standard gastric bypass looks like:


Potential Complications (source: SmartLiposuction.com):

* Abnormal body contour
* Anesthesia reaction
* Bleeding
* Burning
* Death (approximately 1 in 10,000)
* Depression (mild depression is normally following elective surgery)
* Dimples
* Discoloration
* DVT (Blood Clot)
* Fat Embolus (less than 0.1%)
* Heart Failure
* Hematoma
* Hypothermia
* Infection
* Keloid (heavy scar)
* Nerve damage
* Perforation of bowel or abdominal wall
* Permanent numbness (risk is less than 1%)
* Puckers
* Reactions to medications
* Seroma (fluid collection under skin)
* Shock
* Skin irregularities
* Skin death (necrosis)
* Slow healing
* Swelling
* Tingling
* Visible scar

No one is born obese - despite the claims of some over-weight excuse-making whiners about 'acceptance', 'heredity' and having 'the fat gene' - you make yourself huge by not exercising, and making really bad food choices. I'm not saying that genetics doesn't play a role. It's true that some people seem to be able to eat almost anything and not gain weight while others don't have that sort of advantage. Guess what, life's not fair. And for the envious, maybe they should also consider that many of those chowing down heartily tend to eat healthy for the most part, and they also get some exercise so their weight doesn't ballon. It's up to each individual if they want to be a Goodyear blimp.

One doesn't tend to find superfat people in nations where easy access to food, let alone fast food and processed sugars (pop, candy, etc), is simply not an every day occurrence. Gee, I wonder why. Could it be that maybe they just aren't stuffing their faces with supersized meals at fast food 'restaurants', chowing down on multiple chocolate bars, guzzling pop by the gallon while 1. whining that people are mean to them because they are fat, and 2. suing McDonald's for making them fat.

Just last week, I watched a tv show about a pre-teen girl who was close to 300 pounds and who was determined to get LIPSUCTION to get rid of the excess weight. Talk about lazy and stupid. Not just her, but also her mother who thought it was a good idea. Guess no one mentioned to her the extra charge to take care of the extra skin. This kid was drinking pop by the litre and eating double burgers and refusing healthy food, including salads and vegetables. As for exercise, forget it. The doctor she found to do the liposuction finally decided against going ahead because she had low iron levels, but if the levels had been where he wanted it to be, he would have gone ahead. Some doctor.

Potential Complications (source: RevolutionHealth.com):

* Death
* Blood clots in the legs.
* Leaking at one of the staple lines in the stomach.
* Incision hernia.
* Narrowing of the opening between the stomach and small intestine.
* Dumping syndrome (stomach contents moves too quickly through the small intestine, causing nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness and sweating. It's frequently experienced after eating sweets or high-fat foods).
* Vitamin and mineral deficiency (iron deficiency anemia, vitamin B-12 deficiency and vitamin D deficiency)
* Dehydration
* Gallstones
* Bleeding stomach ulcer
* Intolerance to certain foods
* Kidney stones
* Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) related to excessive insulin production

There was a second kid on the show who decided to attend a special high school where sensible eating and effective exercise were also part of the curriculum. The boy did an amazing job of learning how to eat properly and work out correctly. They also taught him how to prepare food, plus he had counselling sessions to help him discover why he was eating so much. He lost a lot of weight over the school year, and his self-esteem went up big time. What he learned will stand him in good stead for the rest of his life.

Anyway, enough about "diets don't work" - um, YES THEY DO: that is, if you're on a sensible eating plan, and you stick to it, and also combine it with an equally sensible exercise plan. What exactly do they think gastric bypass surgery, and all its variants are? The ultimate diet, that's what. After you have it done, you just can't eat as much. And guess what? That's DIETING? Stop looking for shortcuts.

Put down the damn ding-dongs and ho-hos, stop eating at fast food places and supersizing everything, and knock off guzzling pop. Then turn off the tv and the video games and get off the internet, and get your ass up off the couch, or out of the LazyBoy. Stay away from ridiculous fad diets. Consult your doctor who can refer you to a nutritionist. Find a certified personal trainer to help you set up a safe and effective workout designed especially for you.

Ok, I take it back about completely turning off the tv and video games and getting off the internet. Some of that can actually be helpful in this situation. "The Biggest Loser" is a fantastic tv show (if it was at all possible, I'd make a baby with uber-trainer Jillian Michaels the old-fashioned way - yes, I know we're both female, but she's so damn capable in every way I wouldn't put it past her to be able to do it). I like TBL trainers Bob and Kim too - they're very good - but there is just something extra special about Ms. Michaels, but I digress.

The show also has a fantastic online community to help people lose weight together (sometimes you need a buddy), and some video games (Dance, Dance Revolution, Wii Sports, etc) where you actually have to move to play are great physical workouts. Quite possibly why some schools and centres for the aged are installing them.

And don't expect your sensible eating & exercise plan to work over night. You didn't get to be the size of a blimp overnight, and you're not going to get smaller overnight either. Once you decided to act, and then actually start, it's going to take 1 to 3 years to get healthy. Don't give up, don't get discouraged. You've got it in you. You just have to want to actually do it. When things get tough, don't head for the fridge, go out and jog (or walk briskly) around the block. Sign in to your community, and chat with a buddy. And, if you have to eat something, try snacking on some veggies or fruit or cheese.

A close friend of mine, a really wonderful guy, was close to 300lbs. One day, he decided it was time to drop some weight. He changed his eating habits, and started working out. It wasn't easy, and it took time, but he was determined and now he's quite healthy, and much happier. And I'm pleased that I will have the pleasure of him in my life for a lot longer.

By the way, in case anyone thinks that I am a genetic lottery winner, let me say I'm not. Right now, I could stand to lose a few pounds myself. A few years ago, I noted that while I hadn't changed my eating habits, I was putting on a few pounds, so I knew that my metabolism had changed. And more recently, I haven't been working out as much as I used to due to back and foot problems - and yes, general laziness - so I put on a few more. I'm not really fat, but it could head that way if I don't head it off NOW, especially since I'm getting a bit older now.

I was born with flat feet, unfortunately, and I've always had a problem with food pain, not that I've let it stop me from living my life, but lately its become a lot worse. Still, I'm not going to use that as an excuse. It took awhile, but I managed to get an appointment with a foot specialist at a clinic and I now have new orthotics for my shoes. I had to go back for some adjustments, but things are a lot better now.

And I'm going to learn new exercises where I don't aggravate my back. In fact, if I can further strengthen my core, my back problems may well diminish. One reason why I'm still walking is that I had a very strong and muscular back from working out, so when I had the accident at work which wrecked my back, the damage was less severe than it could have been, and the recovery period to get me back on my feet was shorter, too.

You know, my mother is going to be 75 on her next birthday, and if she can haul her still-svelte self to the gym several times a week, I can certainly get off my expanding ass and use the one I've built in my own living space.

And so can you.

Through a fast-acting contact, I was lucky enough to be able to get some high resolution photos of the new Sony Ericsson XPERIA™ X1 which is being launched today at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

“Our vision for the XPERIA™ X1 is to deliver a seamless blend of mobile Web communication and multimedia entertainment within a distinctive design,” said Rikko Sakaguchi, Head of Portfolio and Propositions, Sony Ericsson. “XPERIA™ is our promise to think foremost of user experience and to deliver the premium experience – anytime, anywhere, anything, with anyone.”
“XPERIA™ is the first brand truly born within Sony Ericsson, and it represents our vision to deliver a premium experience of energized communication to consumers,” said Karen Morris, head of marketing, Sony Ericsson North America. "With the launch of XPERIA™ X1, multimedia entertainment meets web communications. When you combine its innovative design, intuitive panel navigation and countless advanced features, this first generation XPERIA™ device sets the benchmark for mobile broadband convergence."

“Our vision for the XPERIA™ X1 is to deliver a seamless blend of mobile web communication and multimedia entertainment within a distinctive design,” added Rikko Sakaguchi, head of portfolio and propositions, Sony Ericsson. “XPERIA™ is our promise to think foremost of the user experience and to deliver the premium experience – anytime, anywhere, anything, with anyone.”

As a technology journalist and long-time Pocket PC/Windows Mobile user, I have to say that the full-featured XPERIA is one of the most aesthetic-pleasing devices to hit the market in years. Powered by Windows Mobile and sporting a 3-inch wide VGA display and a full QWERTY keyboard within a quality metal-finish body, it will be available in 'select markets' by the second half of 2008. Its unique arc slider is sure to be a hit and will likely land it on a number of 'best designed' product lists. Besides the keyboard (which even big fingers should find easy to use due to its design), one can interact with the unit using the 4-way key and optical joystick navigation. Switching between operation modes is seemless.


After drooling over the specs and pix, I can only hope my 'review model' is on its way.

Camera:
* Auto focus
* 3.2 megapixel camera
* Photo light
* Video recording

Music:
* Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
* Media player
* Music tones
* PlayNow™
* Windows Media Player Mobile
* 3D games
* FM radio
* Java
* Video streaming
* Video viewing

Internet:
* Internet Explorer® Mobile
* RSS feeds

Communication and Messaging:
* Polyphonic ringtones
* Speakerphone
* Vibrating alert
* Video calling
* Email
* Picture messaging (MMS)
* Predictive text input
* Text messaging (SMS)

Design:
* XPERIA™ panels
* Optical joystick navigation
* Navigation key
* Picture wallpaper
* Touch navigation

Organiser:
* Alarm clock
* Calculator
* Calendar
* Document editors
* Document readers
* Flight mode
* Handwriting recognition
* Notes
* Phone book
* Tasks
* Touchscreen

Connectivity:
* aGPS
* Bluetooth™ technology
* Modem
* Synchronization
* USB support
* WLAN

Windows® Mobile® Operating System:
* Microsoft® Outlook Mobile: email, contacts, calendar, tasks
* Microsoft® Office Mobile: Word, Excel, PowerPoint
* Internet Explorer® Mobile
* Windows Media™ Player Mobile
* Windows Live™
* Exchange ActiveSync®
* Voice control
* Utility Applications: file explorer, calculator, pictures & video, notes

Facts and Figures:
* Size: 110 x 53 x 16.7 mm
* Weight: 145 grams

Available colours:
* Black
* Silver
* Main screen: 65,536 color TFT
* Resolution: 800 X 480 pixels
* Size: 3 inches

Memory:
* Phone memory: up to 400 MB
* microSD™ memory card support

Availability and versions Networks:
* GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
* UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA 900/1700/1900/2100 MHz
* UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA 850/1700/1900/2100 MHz

One of my favourite publishers Tor/Forge has just made a fabulous announcement:

Something new is coming. Register to be one of the first to join us, and receive free digital books from bestselling and award-winning SF and fantasy authors. This is just the beginning.

Once you register, you'll receive our newsletter and a link to download a digital book. And you'll receive a link to another new book every week.

The first week's free book is Mistborn, by rising fantasy star Brandon Sanderson. Next week's will be Old Man's War by John Scalzi, 2006's winner of the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. Over the next several weeks, other books still.

Go HERE (http://www.tor.com/Default.aspx) to sign-up. And for those suspicious hesitators, you can check their terms of privacy. They do ask for a zip code, so if you're not in the states, you could always - ahem - use 90210.