LIFE AFTER OBESITY SURGERY A Manchester woman has shed a staggering seven stone since she underwent drastic surgery. It was a desperate attempt costing over £10,000 to salvage her health from obesity. Back in February we brought you the story of a Lynn Greenberg and her desperate battle to lose weight. At five foot three and weighing in at 20 stone, Lynn was a heart attack waiting to happen. Having tried but failed to stick to diets over the years she found herself aged 55, barely able to walk and with a low life expectancy. | THEN |  | Weight
Approx 20 stone | Typical eating
Large potions of cakes, cheese and chips | Mobility
Out of breath, struggled to manage stairs, severe joint pain. | | "I sit, that's all I ever do..." | | Lynn Greenberg | | Watch Lynn, January 2003 |  REALPLAYER REQUIRED |
Desperate times called for desperate measures and Lynn decided to undergo a stomach bypass operation. It reduced Lynn’s stomach to a fifth of its size, vastly reducing the amount she can eat and stopping fats and carbohydrates being absorbed into her body. New woman Only eight months on from the operation, Lynn has lost a staggering seven stone. This has dramatically improved her life. Change in habitsThe operation was not a magic solution to Lynn’s obesity. She has had to transform her eating habits completely. | NOW |  | Weight
Approx 13 stone | Typically eating
Small potions of salad, vegetables and chicken | Mobility
Swims daily, plays football with grandchildren | | "I feel great!" | | Lynn Greenberg | | Watch Lynn, August 2003 | | REALPLAYER REQUIRED |
When asked why she did not change her habits earlier to avoid the need for the operation, Lynn says, "I wouldn’t do it. I’d eat like a pig." "I’d be in the fridge all the time eating and eating. "I had no control over myself, however many times I would go to slimming groups. I was my own worst enemy." Lynn now eats much smaller potions of healthier foods. She also swims daily as part of her exercise regime. Difficult timesLife was not plain sailing following the operation. | 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 |
Lynn suffered severe sickness and stomach pain. Lynn says, "It’s too big an operation to have and too severe unless you’re at risk like I was." "But I could hardly walk, I could hardly breath. "I’d have been a very sick woman in a couple of years if I hadn’t had this." Lynn’s now brimming with energy and is able to fulfil her dream of being a hands on grandmother. | 
