Ottakee Posted March 1, 2020 Posted March 1, 2020 I ran into a friend tonight I haven't seen in about a year. I hardly recognized her. She has lost a great deal of weight. She though looks quite a bit older.....like she aged 10 years instead of 1. I have noticed this with several others that had bariatric surgery....they are much thinner but seem so much older. Is this typical or just something with the few I have known that has had the surgery?
Sneezyone Posted March 1, 2020 Posted March 1, 2020 5 minutes ago, Ottakee said: I ran into a friend tonight I haven't seen in about a year. I hardly recognized her. She has lost a great deal of weight. She though looks quite a bit older.....like she aged 10 years instead of 1. I have noticed this with several others that had bariatric surgery....they are much thinner but seem so much older. Is this typical or just something with the few I have known that has had the surgery? It can, temporarily. When you first lose the weight, the fat in your face is quickly lost too. It can make you look sickly. As you settle into a new norm, your facial fat/collagen rebounds. 2
Katy Posted March 1, 2020 Posted March 1, 2020 Well most obese people look younger than their age. But when you lose a great deal of weight, you tend to lose it from the inside out, making remaining fat hang & age you. As you settle into your new set point your skin & remaining fat slowly tighten back up, but it takes a while. 3
Carol in Cal. Posted March 1, 2020 Posted March 1, 2020 I know three people who always looked very cheerful and robust when they were obese. One had baristric surgery and the other two went on lengthy, strict diets. All three lost a ton of weight. Their fat cheeks drooped and they no longer looked cheerful and smiley, but actually, they were not smiley people either. The fat was making them appear so but they weren’t. They didn’t look older exactly, but they did look kind of drawn for quite a while.
Jentrovert Posted March 1, 2020 Posted March 1, 2020 I only know one person well who had bariatric surgery. She had it when she was young, and it didn't age her. I've known several people who have done strict diets and lost a lot of weight, most around 35-45 years old, one in his fifties. Every one of them look much older after the weight loss. Like, about a decade older. The aged look seems to remain, unless they gain the weight back.
itsheresomewhere Posted March 1, 2020 Posted March 1, 2020 For some, yes. DH has had bariatric surgery and looks the same as does two other friends. But our two neighbors ( siblings) had it done and one looks much older 5+ years out of surgery.
Ottakee Posted March 1, 2020 Author Posted March 1, 2020 OK, so many people do look older after bariatric surgery. My next question is.....do they really feel older or do they feel much better after the surgery despite "looking" older? I have sorta toyed with the idea occasionally. I am borderline area for qualifying.....maybe above the line now. I have problems with one knee where I tore the meniscus twice. Other that that, I am active, blood work is perfect, cardiac work up was perfect (I had a congenital heart defect repaired as a child ) etc. I just don't know if the risks/long term issues with the surgery would be worth it. Loosing weight would be great but I just don't know. The people I have seen that have had it done have had long term struggles with health, etc. after the surgery.
Jentrovert Posted March 1, 2020 Posted March 1, 2020 My friend who had surgery when she was young did have issues from then on. Stomach difficulties, absorption problems, etc. But her surgery was 20 years ago; I think they may be doing things differently now? The people I referred to who have lost a lot of weight all seem to feel good. (And they all seem to think they look good too. I've heard a couple remark on how much younger they think they look . . . I think they FEEL younger and it's true that their body shape looks younger than it did, but none seems to notice that they actually look older. Which is just as well; they're feeling good and more energetic, and in a couple of cases have made clear improvements in health, which is more important than how they look.
Terabith Posted March 1, 2020 Posted March 1, 2020 I’ve known several people who had very successful surgeries. One I would consider frail now, in his 50’s, but I didn’t know him pre surgery. My concern is I know one person who it utterly destroyed. She was a mom, teacher of the year, solid and professional person. Post surgery she became extremely mentally ill and an alcoholic. She lost her children and in her 40’s has to live in assisted living, is constantly in crisis, and has a guardian. Apparently that’s a rare but known possible side effect. I don’t think I would do it just for weight loss with no health issues at this point. 1
PrincessMommy Posted March 1, 2020 Posted March 1, 2020 Part of it can depend on your age when you have the surgery. The older one gets the hard it is for the skin to "bounce back" from weight loss. My sister lost over 100lb when she was in her 40s. It aged her incredibly. She's never really regained that youthful look but now I would say that her age is catching up with her face. She is also a sun lover who doesn't believe in sunscreen (don't get me started). I know that all that sun plays a role in her looking older too 1
Sneezyone Posted March 1, 2020 Posted March 1, 2020 (edited) I looked and felt great after, seriously. No saggy skin or sunken cheeks. Tons of energy. I was 29...wooo it’s been a while. Even after I had DS I maintained the weight loss. Edited March 1, 2020 by Sneezyone 3
Selkie Posted March 1, 2020 Posted March 1, 2020 Interesting thread. I can only think of one person who has had weight loss surgery and she does look much older, haggard, and has an unhealthy pallor to her complexion. I haven't noticed that happening with people who lose weight through changing their way of eating and exercise. I'm in Facebook groups for whole food plant based eating and there are a lot of people who post before and after pictures after losing large amounts of weight. As a rule, they look fantastic - much healthier and younger.
Jentrovert Posted March 1, 2020 Posted March 1, 2020 2 hours ago, Selkie said: Interesting thread. I can only think of one person who has had weight loss surgery and she does look much older, haggard, and has an unhealthy pallor to her complexion. I haven't noticed that happening with people who lose weight through changing their way of eating and exercise. I'm in Facebook groups for whole food plant based eating and there are a lot of people who post before and after pictures after losing large amounts of weight. As a rule, they look fantastic - much healthier and younger. I wonder if it makes a difference how the weight is lost. I said above that those I know who lost a lot of weight (and look older) all lost it with some type of very strict and (what I would consider) unhealthy diet. Maybe losing more healthily makes a difference in that. 2
SeaConquest Posted March 1, 2020 Posted March 1, 2020 I had a gastric bypass in January 2018, so I am a little over 2 years out. I was barely over the BMI of 35 required by Kaiser to qualify. I have PCOS and had been flirting with pre-diabetes with an A1C around 5.7 after my second child. So, I wanted to get off the diabetes train before it left the station. I was 211 at 5'4" to qualify for surgery and was 217 on the date of surgery (I went on a cruise right before -- figured that I was saying goodbye to food), so I gained a few pounds right before. I am 135 today, and have been maintaining that weight loss without any effort at all. I am a full-time nursing student at the moment, and haven't had time to devote to working out. I was losing quite a bit of weight until last fall, so I tried to slow it down (because I was losing quite a bit of hair) by going back on birth control pills and eating whatever I wanted. That did the trick, and my weight has been stable since then. Other than a kidney stone that I got last summer (from not drinking enough water), and may have gotten anyway (no way to know), I haven't had any health issues post-surgery. My labs all look good. I am religious about taking my bariatric vitamins, and I take extra potassium and iron because those tend to be a little lower than I would like them to be, but otherwise, my labs are better than they were when I was in my 20s (I am 45). I don't think the surgery has aged me at all, but I will let you be the judge. My FB is somewhat locked down, but you can see some pics:https://www.facebook.com/monique.b.labarre If you do a search, you can find past posts about my whole experience, if you are seriously considering it. I was, of course, petrified to have the surgery, but it was easy peasy, and I don't regret it at all. I wish I had done it years ago. I am happy to answer any questions. 3
KungFuPanda Posted March 2, 2020 Posted March 2, 2020 I think as people near 50, those with more fat tend to have younger looking faces. 2
Ottakee Posted March 2, 2020 Author Posted March 2, 2020 3 hours ago, KungFuPanda said: I think as people near 50, those with more fat tend to have younger looking faces. That would be me.......
Laura Corin Posted March 2, 2020 Posted March 2, 2020 5 hours ago, KungFuPanda said: I think as people near 50, those with more fat tend to have younger looking faces. Yes. I've decided to dismiss from my mind the young=attractive narrative (I'm nearing 60). My face is a bit thin these days and my neck is drawn. I'm healthier than I've ever been though and I think that shows in my energy. I'm not naturally a wildly social person, but feeling fit has (I think) made me more attractive, in that I can put more into interactions. 5
ktgrok Posted March 2, 2020 Posted March 2, 2020 20 hours ago, Ottakee said: OK, so many people do look older after bariatric surgery. My next question is.....do they really feel older or do they feel much better after the surgery despite "looking" older? I have sorta toyed with the idea occasionally. I am borderline area for qualifying.....maybe above the line now. I have problems with one knee where I tore the meniscus twice. Other that that, I am active, blood work is perfect, cardiac work up was perfect (I had a congenital heart defect repaired as a child ) etc. I just don't know if the risks/long term issues with the surgery would be worth it. Loosing weight would be great but I just don't know. The people I have seen that have had it done have had long term struggles with health, etc. after the surgery. Oh, I definitely felt much younger! I would say I felt nearly a decade younger, it was amazing. I've had zero health issues since, at least nothing related, lol. And no more back pain when I wake up, etc. BUT - I eat my protein and take my vitamins. It is very easy to skimp on protein afterward (it fills you up the fastest) and Im always shocked at how many people never take their vitamins. I don't take anything fancy, just a multi vitamin, iron (I was actually lower on iron before surgery!), and D. My labs have always been perfect. But I know that it is important. 18 hours ago, Jentrovert said: My friend who had surgery when she was young did have issues from then on. Stomach difficulties, absorption problems, etc. But her surgery was 20 years ago; I think they may be doing things differently now? Yes, in some cases there have been changes, to reduce malabsorption. But there are several versions of Bariatric surgery - each with different risks/benefits. 18 hours ago, Terabith said: I’ve known several people who had very successful surgeries. One I would consider frail now, in his 50’s, but I didn’t know him pre surgery. My concern is I know one person who it utterly destroyed. She was a mom, teacher of the year, solid and professional person. Post surgery she became extremely mentally ill and an alcoholic. She lost her children and in her 40’s has to live in assisted living, is constantly in crisis, and has a guardian. Apparently that’s a rare but known possible side effect. I don’t think I would do it just for weight loss with no health issues at this point. It's not EXACTLY a side effect...at least I would call the surgery a risk factor versus a cause. What seems to happen is a combination of people who already have addictive personalities switching their addiction to food, or people who already were drinking quite a bit, but metabolize it differently now. Bariatric surgery can make you get drunk faster. A GOOD bariatric center (there are Centers of Excellence and you want to go to one) will have psychologists who screen patients looking for any past alcohol issues, and also making sure the patient has a support system to deal with the new lifestyle, etc. I was required to quit all alcohol for a period of time before the surgery. And then we are advise to wait 6 months before having any alcohol, and at that point to not have more than 1/2 to one drink.
May Posted March 2, 2020 Posted March 2, 2020 I’ve only known two people who have had it, a mother and daughter. The daughter, early 30’s had it and she looked and said she felt great. This convinced the mother to have it, mid 50’s, I believe. She too, embraced the new her and started running. When I saw them last, they both had kept off the weight. As far as aging, I didn’t notice it in the daughter but the mom did look a little older.
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