I was 34-stone at 16.. but gastric op saved my life

I cant beileve someone would eat that much, where did they get the cash to get all this food? i bet what she ate a day would cost a average person there weekly shop! i just hope that tax payers didnt pay for her junk food! theres a limit and even if fat people have a "problem" everyone knows 16mars bars a day is going to make you a fat b******

16 mars bars a day!!!!!

shocking.

By mars bar.. Posted November 1 2009 at 2:01 AM.

i think u made the right decision by having the op. but just remember to stay healthy by eating right and exercising daily.

By kavora.. Posted July 7 2009 at 11:29 PM.

ugh, this makes me sick, maybe you can call it jealous if you want but i am over weight and have a thyroid problem so it is very hard for me to loose weight and i dont have 10 thousand dollars laying around or a visa to max out getting surgery to help me loose weight, and i think its just crap that she was eating SOOOOOOO much sneaking food and just gets a easy way OUT! the olny reason that girl is not eating it NOW IS Cuz her body wont handle it she will throw up or get sick! but just know that she can re strech out her stomach!
lazy!

By amber.. Posted June 11 2009 at 3:05 PM.

As Ricky Gervais says- its not a disease

By :@.. Posted March 12 2009 at 2:19 PM.

but it is so unfair i think, so many teenager are doing their best to lose weight and she gets slim after an operation without the healthy food and exercise, now she can look good and we have to do that in the healthy way >.<

By I wanna be skinny too.. Posted March 5 2009 at 7:17 PM.

"excerise and healthy eating" - wow good advice from malissa, shame she didn't follow it herself. i think it was a bad case of what is commonly known as "LAZYNESS". would've saved the NHS a hell of a lot of money that's for sure.

By Emily.. Posted February 28 2009 at 9:13 PM.

hello malissa you are my best mate i think you have done so well on loosing weight you are so happy now and so glad to see it from when i came round to vist you and you woud be in the chair we all love you so much well done and keep it up hunny xxxxxxxxxxx

By tara bell.. Posted February 27 2009 at 11:46 PM.

You look really good right now.

But beware the heart of the problem, which has been masked for now by your surgery. Weight is a tough issue. I bet that you could easily drop to a very small size -- you look like you've got a naturally small frame. Day by day, as you enjoy your new life, deal with your heart, which is the real beginning of the problem. I hope that you are getting so much more out of life now.

By Elizabeth Snow.. Posted February 26 2009 at 5:00 PM.

You look great! I hope you continue to feel beautiful and happy.

I hope this is the biggest obstacle you ever have to overcome, because to go through so much so early, you deserve to have a beautiful life :)

By Ash.. Posted February 26 2009 at 4:56 PM.

Wow babe! You are looking gorgeous! you should be so proud of yourself. this has made my month to see you happy! Good luck- have a great life
xxxxxx

By saly hutton.. Posted February 25 2009 at 10:27 PM.

Well done!!!

You look really good - and much happier in these photo's. It must have been hard, but it was worth it, wasn't it? And those scars must be a constant reminder of your good work!

And remeber - next time you want a Mars bar... chew on a stick of celery instead!!!

By Anna.. Posted February 25 2009 at 6:40 PM.

Well done, Malissa- you're an inspiration to many who read your story, whether they have the guts to admit it or not. Congratulations on your success, on saving your life and turning it around, and for showing others just what sort of determination is possible and what it can accomplish. Who cares about the costs; your life is worth it and I wish you continued success and a happy and healthy life!

By Joe from Chicago.. Posted February 25 2009 at 9:41 AM.

Congratulations, Malissa! I know you must be feeling so much better. I am going to have gastric bypass surgery soon and I was wondering how you feel about food now that you have had the surgery. I have never counted the number of calories that I eat in a day, but I do eat massive amounts of food. Do you miss being able to eat large quantities? If so, how do you deal with those feelings? Thank you

By Mariah.. Posted February 24 2009 at 7:10 PM.

My daughter is almost 18, weighed 9 lbs 9 1/2 oz at birth, and has always had a weight problem, currently at 381 lbs. She is the youngest of 4, none of which have the weight issues. We have tried all sorts of plans, to no avail. True, she should have watched her diet more, exercised more....but she reached a point where she felt defeated at every turn. My heart cries in prayer for help, for her to do her part. She has wanted bypass for years, and we have fought it because of her age. She finally had an appointment with the doctor yesterday, and even though I still hope for other options for her, she is very optimistic about bypass, knowing it is NOT the easy way out of this situation. When I hear her breathe, watch others who sneer at her looks, see her getting heavier...my heart grieves. When she was in third grade she commented to me, " I think of myself as a beautiful little girl, and then I look in the mirror and ask, 'Where did YOU come from?' " She is outgoing, loving, communicates well with others, has a heart to give and help, and gives sound advice to those in need. Yes, as a mom, I think of the risks involved with this surgery, but the risks of the weight are really thought-provoking, too!! It is too easy for those of us who, too, may be overweight, though not obese, to say, "Just eat right and exercise." Melissa, I pray your continued success with your weight-loss. Be blessed!!!

By judy.. Posted February 24 2009 at 1:38 PM.

hi wow i think this is amazing and your amazing theirs a dramatic difference i lost like what 5 stone more than my weight which is a lot to do in such a short time great achivement

jxx

By jonathan b.. Posted February 24 2009 at 11:45 AM.

I like to eat too much. Thank God I have a job in which I burn a lot of calories or I would weigh 400 lbs.. No desk job for me. Also, judge not lest you also be so judged.

By Jim.. Posted February 24 2009 at 10:49 AM.

well done for getting down to a 16. well done.
i no mars bars r nice but every one needs to learn how to control themselfs and you have done it.

By drd.. Posted February 24 2009 at 10:33 AM.

Kudos Malissa! Don't let the snarky negative comments get you down. You look great and should be proud--280 in one year is an amazing accomplishment!

By Christy.. Posted February 23 2009 at 10:13 PM.

Apparently exercise and common sense do not apply here

By .. Posted February 23 2009 at 6:31 PM.

...blimey...read the headline and thought they'd cut one of your legs off or something...good on you Kid, keep up the good work and don't let that baby's Nan come near, I mean to say, didn't your Mum and Dad have any say in the matter or did you grow so fast they became terrified in case you felt a little peckish: After all, raw hamburgers are not a mile away from a nice piece of rump, are they...? I used to fight running battles with my Ma-in-Law...as soon as she left the house the sweets she gave the kids would go straight in the bin, that's the trouble with misconstruing giving sweeties for kindness...Anyway, good luck to you and if you ever have kids, keep the choccies and sweeties at bay...!

By wilco60.. Posted February 23 2009 at 4:27 PM.

Congratulations, sweetie. I am reading all of the comments about the NHS, and how it shouldn't be paying for it.. however, I am from the US and had the gastric band 2 years ago and I had to pay for it completely by myself ($16,000, not sure how many pounds that is). Don't listen to all of the hypocrites who believe "they" shouldn't have paid for your surgery, since you will be helping them out some day, too. I only wish we had such a wonderful system in America, rather than people having to suffer and sometimes die because they don't have insurance. You look beautiful, keep up the great work! :)

By Stacey.. Posted February 23 2009 at 4:11 PM.

damn Britain is awesome. In America if someone was told that they would just get depressed and eat themselves to death faster. I'm supporting the act to get our country renamed to blobious maximus. Seriously, if your not into big women, your in the wrong country.

By sam switzer.. Posted February 23 2009 at 4:57 PM.

I like how people post comments giving the girl advice. Do you think she's going to read them or something?

By David.. Posted February 23 2009 at 5:14 PM.

Congrats Melissa.
What took my attention is the alarming amount of sugar intake, 8 litres of Coca-Cola, several Mars and Snickers bars and more.
A bowl of salad, or some sautéed veggies would make a great replacement, high in fibre, no processed sugars, and low in calories.
I actually believe certain products should come with a warning on them - like cigarettes; they're just as harmful so why not warn people about their effect.

By Sam Sweiti.. Posted February 23 2009 at 2:59 PM.

This is everything that is wrong with society today. I say anyone over a certain BMI should only be able to get access to a certain amount of food.. .end of story.

By Benjamin Jones.. Posted February 23 2009 at 2:53 PM.

Well done, Malissa, for taking responsibility for your weight. You've done amazingly!

However, I have to comment on the "eats 1,000 calories a day." 1000 calories a day simply is not a healthy nor sustainable daily intake. It will affect the metabolism adversely and put the body into "starvation mode" - no matter how fat or skinny you are. To lose weight healthily, you should never eat less than 1200 calories a day. And obviously those 1200 calories should be nutricious and well balanced in order to avoid malnutrition. Get yourself up to the 1200 calories for example by having an evening snack of 10 grams of almons and 10 grams of 70% dark chocolate. High calorie but super healthy not to mention delicious. All the best of luck in the future.

By J Lowe.. Posted February 23 2009 at 12:05 PM.

Yes the nhs did pay for my surgery but this is now saving them money
i don't have to have oxygen on a night
use my four different inhalers 8 times a day
i not at the dr's 24-7 for anti biotics because i got every infection possible.
i aren't in and out of hospital anymore

People that comment need to ubderstand the fuull issues before they go and make out it is easy. it certainly isn't easy. I didn't have the operation because it was easy i had it to save my life.

Anyone trying to loose weight knows how hard it is mentally and physically. and should be given the support they need

By Malissa Jones.. Posted February 23 2009 at 11:59 AM.

You have done so well! yor confidence must be soaring.

By Sally.. Posted February 22 2009 at 5:28 PM.

It's not only about eating healthy and home made meals, it's also about the amount of food you eat. What this girl was eating is terrible, even if a normal person eats much, it's nothing compared to that. Even if your food is healthy and right, you cannot digest that much food, you body can't.
Greetings from Spain!

By Eva.. Posted February 22 2009 at 4:09 PM.

Well Done Melissa!!!! It takes guts and hard work to lose weight and when you have so much to lose, it's easy just to give up and carry on eating!!!! You look fantastic and remember where you were if you ever feel like going back to your old habits!!! Weell Done again xxxx

By Mickie.. Posted February 22 2009 at 2:01 PM.

Good luck to the girl
everyone Knows losing weight is not easy and she has done brilliantly. just keep it up

By Mick.. Posted February 22 2009 at 12:40 PM.

I would like to congratulate Melissa. I am considering having the gastric band I am a diabetic i have tried diets slimming pills my diet is very good my cholestral level is 3.8 but still cant lose weight so not everyone has this operation for an easy weight loss soloution some of us just cant lose weight.

By Minnie.. Posted February 22 2009 at 12:38 PM.

YOU ARE LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN GIVEN A CHANCE OF A "NORMAL" LIFE WHEN YOU ARE STILL YOUNG. GRAB IT WITH BOTH HANDS AND LIVE LIFE TO THE FULL X

By SUZANNE.. Posted February 22 2009 at 11:26 AM.

Wtf is wrong with parents today? When I was growing up my mother cooked all our meals from scratch as it was cheaper and healthier. We got the odd treat and when we asked for coke we were told "there's plenty of coke in the tap". If ever we cried or told her she was mean, she ignored it. If ever we were uspest, we got a cuddle and a shoulder to cry on, not a load of junk. We hardly ever ate in fast food restaurants and to this day I can't stand fast food. I'm 28 now and have never had a filling or weight issues. Why do parents treat children like friends and give them too much choices? Kids need someone to show them how to do things properly, even if they don't like it. If kids spend their whole life eating fast food and junk, they're not going to suddenly turn around at 18 and go "well I'm an adult now, I must eat responsibily". Fair play to this girl for loosing the weight but it would have been much easier for her if she had been taught correct eating habits and coping skills from a young age. I am a parent myself and have to put up with the tantrums etc but their is no way in hell I'm gonna let my kids destroy their health just for a quite life.

By Paddy.. Posted February 22 2009 at 11:23 AM.

Many parents claim that healthy eating is too expensive. I live in Ireland and here is the cost of a meal we might have - packet of spagetti 35c, jar of cause 65c, lean mince 2.00, bag of onions & mushrooms 99c. Total cost to feed a family of four 3.99. You don't have to buy over the top food to be healthy!

By Paddy.. Posted February 22 2009 at 11:28 AM.

Well Done!! A huge achievement.
I was overweight and got diabeties, the doctor said the best way to lose weight was to eat homemade food, not ANYTHING from a super market. He was right, I still have more to lose, but I am doing well. It shows the food available to us can have a terrible effect on our bodies. We all need to get back to basics!

By Kat.. Posted February 22 2009 at 11:55 AM.

That level of weight loss even after a bypass requires a huge amount of dedication and it's a hell of an achievement. We should all be congratulating the girl.

The NHS should absolutely have paid for this - it's much 'cheaper' in the long run as it saves a fortune in treating her for other things that would inevitably have happened. Now look at her - she can play a full active part at work and pay taxes.

It's total ignorance for people to quibble about this as it was 'her own fault'. She was young and obviously had a lot of problems to end up like that. Those saying NHS funding is a disgrace well I hope you all watch what you're drinking so we don't all have to pay for your liver transplants in years to come - hypocrites!

By Mal Adams.. Posted February 22 2009 at 10:00 AM.

Easy to snipe about who pays etc but congrats for getting the weight off. I'd recommend substituting the food addiction for an excecise addiction!

By MAD DOC.. Posted February 22 2009 at 10:09 AM.

I put on a stone just reading the list of what you used to eat. I cant help asking though how could your parents afford to buy so much rubbish foodIf I buy a packet of chocolate bars, my kids get the third and fourth degree if one is unaccounted for.I find it sad though that people have to take this operation as a weight loss. What happens to the mental issues that made you overeat in the first place, surely they dont disappear.

By sandy.. Posted February 22 2009 at 10:09 AM.

Well done, you look beautiful.

By linda Kinsella.. Posted February 22 2009 at 10:10 AM.

I was watching an old film of school children in the1950's or 60's,the other day and I noticed that I couldn't see one overweight child. What does this mean? There's something wrong with the food they're producing today and, with takaways and processed foods being so labour-saving, many mothers are opting for the easy way out.Well done Melissa, lets hope that reading your story a lot of parents will wake up and try and prevent these things happening

By sonia.. Posted February 22 2009 at 10:24 AM.

well done,
you look so healthy and great determination achieved great results,keep going

By jim coogan.. Posted February 22 2009 at 10:24 AM.

Well done, proud of you girl, you look great, I know of a lad of the same age as you and his diet is as bad as what yours used to be, you serve as an inspiration, for other teenagers to appreiciate the value of a better diet and way of life. I wish you every success in your life....

By Lorna Wanstall .. Posted February 22 2009 at 9:41 AM.

Well done - you look good.
I can only echo my disgust that such junk food was in the house to tempt you. You mother should have felt ashamed of going through the checkout at the shops with all that dangerous stuff in her trolley.
I really don't know how anyone can affort to buy such junk. Every overweight person seems to have someone helping them. A bit like people who over feed their loved pet dog - or take a complete loaf to feed a couple of ducks.

By Derby Boy.. Posted February 22 2009 at 9:54 AM.

first of all how can she afford to buy the junk food in the first place and if it was her parents buying it shame on them for gods sake why reward bad behaver again its self inficked she put it in her mouth now you are congrats her for losing it

By gary .. Posted February 22 2009 at 9:23 AM.

If you read the article fully, you will see that she is now able to hold down a full time job and is less of a burden on the NHS because she has lost so much weight. The operation has paid for itself.

By Atomic.. Posted February 22 2009 at 8:53 AM.

For those who complain about the cost of the op - its short term pain for long term gain! To have the "expensive" gastric band op means that a large amount of weight is lost thus cutting the ongoing and long term health problems. These health problems would ultimately end up costing the NHS an awful lot more money than the gastric band op. And for those who are talking about diet - if you read the article properly you would see that this girl didnt have enough time left to lose weight the conventional way! I agree that she should never have got to this size but she did and was going to die soon without losing weight quickly(which also has its own risks)

By madonna.. Posted February 22 2009 at 8:49 AM.

Well done for losing the weight. You look amazing. Not to play devils advocate (actually...I'm just going to keep it reall), you really didn't have much to do with your stomach shrinking in size. A skilled surgeon made it possible. And tax payers fronted the hospital bill. Not that the general public wanted you to die, but think about it, you and only you consumed 15000 calories per day for a ridiculuous period of time to make you the size that required surgery. And unless you are getting a good seeing to by a respected psychiatrist or therapist on a weekly basis...sugar...honey, honey... you are only going to replace your food addiction with one that is drug or alcohol related. Fill the emptiness with love and faith. Not food or mood altering substances.

By Huntyho.. Posted February 22 2009 at 8:59 AM.

In response to Super Joe. As you can see, this is an extreme case, if the girl didn't have the operation, she would have died. I'm sure it was probably her only option left. If I had been in that position, I would have grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

By Atomic.. Posted February 22 2009 at 8:46 AM.

To those people who say "the NHS shouldn't pay because it's her own fault", Should the NHS pay if your child ignores the highway code and is injured in a motor accident? If you don't help all people, you might aswell do away with the NHS and make it a "pay or die" society.

By Mark E B.. Posted February 22 2009 at 8:15 AM.

Hold on....well done?? Well done for what?? The only reason she's lost the weight is cause WE PAID for her to have an operation. She's done nothing to help herself! I hope her parents (or lack of them by the sound of things) were made to pay for it. Well done??....unbelieveable!

By super joe.. Posted February 22 2009 at 5:01 AM.

i hope the nhs isnt paying for this ops!

By anna.. Posted February 22 2009 at 2:51 AM.

she only sleeps three hours a day?

By ben.. Posted February 22 2009 at 2:35 AM.

Having a gastric bypass certainly is not the easy option. You have to work hard at having a balanced and healthy diet. The food demons are still there, the operation does n't fix that and food adiction will be there for life. The surgery is life risking stuff and having a bypass is never a desicion that is taken lightly.

Once you get to a weight as heavy as she was, losing weight by dieting alone is almost impossible as it takes to only have a few hundred calories more than what you need to gain more weight. I think its great that she took the decision to have this surgery and its clear her life has turned around 100%. She was destined to have a very shortened life full of pain and misery and now she can live.

I had the same surgery 3 months ago and have lost 5 stone so far. Food still occupies alot of my thoughts and the need to eat emotionally is still there but I'm physically unable to do so. I still have bad days where I'm totally out of control of what I am eating, but all I can manage in a 'binge' is probably no more than 400-500 calories where as preop it would have been thousands. Those food demons will still affect me for the rest of my life but physically I'm so much healthier.

Any one that continues to say this op is the easy way out clearly do not have weight issues and have limited understanding of how obesity destroys your life.

Well done to her, she's done amazingly, I only hope I have as much sucess as she has done.

By Alia.. Posted February 22 2009 at 2:24 AM.

SIXTEEN Mars Bars a day???
- AND six other bars of chocolate?
- AND twelve packets of crisps?
Per day?

Congratulations to her for finally sorting her life out and getting back to normality, gastric band or not, I'm sure it was very difficult. However. Like Janet says, where did all that food come from in the first place?

I'm sure she loves her mum very much, but that was very, VERY bad parenting.

By John T.. Posted February 22 2009 at 1:45 AM.

well done, it's obvious you look 100% better and you are more healthy but i do think people are taking these ops as an easy way out!

3 People on my street are now getting gastric bands just because they can't be bothered to eat healthy meals and get exercise, it's a cop out in my eyes.

I mean someone who eats 15,000 calories a day should have been getting advice, or a family member should be stepping in telling them to get on a healthy eating plan and get some exercise before taking the easy way of getting gastric bypass.

By Bob.. Posted February 22 2009 at 12:57 AM.

To be right, it took time and dedication to achieve that level of weight in the first place.

By Noodles.. Posted February 22 2009 at 12:56 AM.

So, where did she get all that food from? If there weren't snickers bars in the house at 2.30am, she couldnt have eaten them. It's simple really. It doesn't sound like her mother tried very hard to prevent her from having access to all those calories.

By Janet.. Posted February 22 2009 at 12:14 AM.

well done huni!
u look so good:D!
xxxxxxxxx

By lucky.. Posted February 22 2009 at 12:28 AM.

Well done Malissa. You look great.

By Anne.. Posted February 22 2009 at 12:08 AM.

WELL DONE. for losing so much weight you look fantastic now. I am on the list due to have the same operation done in the next few months.

By Doodles.. Posted February 21 2009 at 11:24 PM.