Morbid Obesity
Will you allow it to kill you?
Eduardo Chapunoff, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.C.
www.Xlibris.com
ISBN:   Hardcover 978-1-4415-6080-3     Softcover  978-1-4415-6079-7
242 pages (includes front and back matter) 

After reading Morbid Obesity by Eduardo Chapunoff, I quickly went to my full-length mirror and analyzed my body.  My doctor had told me during my last visit that I was 30 pounds overweight and, as a result, my blood pressure was too high.  My knees had been bothering me too, so I knew the weight was causing other problems as well.  Although I wasn’t dealing with morbid obesity which is a weight excess of 100 pounds or more, I was still concerned.  I believed a conservative approach would help me get rid of the weight, but I found myself thinking of the nine million morbidly obese people in the United States who will not respond to such an approach.   

Dr. Chapunoff deals with this subject with total honesty because he recognizes that peoples’ lives are going to be affected by this book—hopefully in a positive way. 

Being overweight contributes to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, high levels of cholesterol, cancer, etc. Ask yourself how many overweight people you know who have been suddenly stricken with a stroke or heart attack.  Factors that influence obesity are behavioral, environmental and genetic.  As most of us know, inactivity, cessation of smoking and even religion can contribute to our weight gain.  The author reminded me about Christian churches with their pot luck dinners, summer picnics . . . and ensuing calories.  Other religions have some dietary restrictions so their members may be thinner, but still I know from experience, wherever people gather, there is usually an abundance of food. 

What do people who are morbidly obese do?  If conservative measures don’t work, and all too often they don’t, what is the answer?  After reading the author’s description and viewing the charts concerning twenty-five diseases closely associated with morbid obesity, readers might very well begin to think about having weight-loss (bariatric) surgery.  Dr. Chapunoff lists the clinical guidelines to help prospective patients in making this decision.  He emphasizes that this is not for everyone and that medically supervised weight reduction programs should be attempted prior to considering a surgical approach.  The character and personality of the would-be patient have much to do with this decision.  Even after successful surgery, the patient must be motivated and willing to make a change in his or her lifestyle.  The doctor suggests that those considering the surgery talk with others who have had it and obtain feedback. 

Dr. Chapunoff discusses the five major surgical procedures that patients should talk about with potential surgeons. Again, the charts and illustrations are very helpful in educating non-professionals regarding the basics of these procedures.  The author explains the advantages and disadvantages of the various methods.   

My favorite chapter is one in which Mrs. Muniz tells of her personal experience as a weight loss surgical patient  who went from 257 pounds in June 2003 to 125 pounds in March of 2006.  It is a wonderfully encouraging and intimate story of a courageous, unselfish woman who reaches out to others with her firsthand knowledge.  

Please do not think the doctor is advising everyone to have weight loss surgery; he is just asking that they weigh the risks against the benefits and make a decision only after much consideration.  Technically speaking, he says that insurance coverage for this surgery is widespread, but that does not mean all patients will find their insurance carriers ready to sign off on the surgery.  Dr. Chapunoff tells readers what they need to do to ultimately get approval.  

This wonderful resource provides a wealth of pertinent information about weight problems; therefore, I advise every reader of this review to purchase this book and make it a permanent part of his or her home library.  I highly recommend Morbid Obesity, not just to those struggling with weight problems but to all individuals who want to better understand their own bodies.  This is a life-changing and life-saving book! 

Bettie Corbin Tucker
For Independent Professional Book Reviewers
www.bookreviewers.org
August 25, 2010