BATTLING OBESITY WITH SURGERYFighting her weight has been a life-long battle for Lynn Greenberg. Convinced her excess weight will eventually kill her, she recently underwent drastic surgery. Despite trying all kinds of diets and having her jaw wired together, Lynn Greenberg from Manchester still weighs twenty stone at only five foot three inches. She happily admits to loving her food, saying, "I’ll go into a café and I’ll order two doughnuts rather than a meal. That’s a typical thing I’d do." "It’s a vicious circle. The fatter you get, the more you eat." Family Concern  | | Gerry and Lynn Greenberg on their wedding day |
At 55 years old, Lynn’s years of comfort eating are taking their toll on her heart and joints. Her family believes that she is eating herself into an early grave. Her husband Gerry says, "How often do you see people of 80 years of age who weight as much as Lynn? Their hearts give way. How much longer can she take it?" Gerry recalls fonder days when they met in a club in 1968 and weight was not such a problem. "She was very beautiful. I was very proud to be with her because so many guys used to look at her!" Procedure | | Surgeons reduce Lynn's stomach size |
Lynn needs to lose at least eight stone. She is pinning her hopes on a gastric bypass procedure. Costing £10,500, it will reduce Lynn’s stomach to a fifth of it’s present size. The operation, performed at the Bupa hospital in Leeds, will vastly reduce the amount Lynn is able to eat. It will also stop fats and carbohydrates being absorbed into her body. The beginning Lynn puts the start of her weight gain down to the time following the birth of her two daughters. She began experiencing chronic headaches and says that the tablets she was prescribed increased her appetite and the pounds piled on. Lynn says, "Diets didn’t work because I didn’t stick to them." "I had my jaws wired. I lost two stone and I had to take them off because I couldn’t stand the pain. I very quickly put it back on."
Motivation| Obesity Facts | It causes 30,000 deaths a year in England alone. 19% of Britons are obese. 39% are overweight. Adult obesity rates have tripled since 1982. People are classed as obese if they have a body mass index over 30. It can lead to health problems including: - Arthritis
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
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The stomach bypass surgery is Lynn’s last chance at shedding her excess weight. She has plenty of motivation in the form of her four grandchildren. Lynn says, "I want to do all the things that a good grandmother does." "I spend a lot of time with them but all I ever do is sit and I can’t get down on the floor." "I want to be here to see them grow up." ProgressJust three weeks after the operation, Lynn has already shed two and a half stone. But there is still a long way to go.The weight won’t just fall off. Healthy eating and significant willpower on Lynn’s part are essential to make Lynn victorious in this final battle with obesity. | 
Inside Out - North West: Monday 24th February, 2003
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