Steve
Vaught, a classic candidate for weight loss surgery, thinks that
undergoing a "dangerous surgery that cost about the same as a luxury
car" is "nuts". He further calls it "dangerous" and mentions it in the
same breath as "miracle weight loss drugs or fad diets that never seem
to have lasting results. And this is why Vaught had been on a journey
across the United States continent for the one year,on foot!
You read that right. He walked across the Atlantic continent, some 3650
Km.
The 39yr old, father of two and a former physically fit U.S marine from
Southern California hah not been happy about the weight he had gained
over the years after a road accident in which an old couple died. Steve
who was driving too fast against a setting sun and hit the couple who
were crossing the road. The incident took an emotional toll on him
leading to a depression that has seen him indulge to weight 350 pounds,
about 177 kgs.
To force his mind to snap out of it, he courageously undertook the
grueling challenge of walking from his home town Oceanside, San Diego
in southern California on the west coast of the U.S to New York City on
the east coast. His purpose, to lose weight and show others like him,
that it can be done.
The coast to coast journey that started on April 10th was meant to have
lasted 6 months. Vaught ended up being on the road for nearly one year.
At less than 1000 km to go he had lost what he jokingly calls a whole
girl friend -a whooping 50 Kg (100pounds). This is as much as you would
lose with a gastric by-pass in about the same time.
In addition he got to see beautiful sceneries, meet different people
and on the negative, nearly bitten by a snake and had split feet.
You would tend to think that he is the one who is nuts for taking on
Forest Gump -the 1994 movie that had Forest Gump, acted by Tom Hanks,
running across America. But Vaught thinks otherwise. Infact he thinks
he "would be nuts not to do this". And unlike Forest Gump he's got a
reason and an objective he is pursuing.
In a time when weight loss surgery is becoming a preferred means of
weight loss for men and women of Vaught's size, he still chose the hard
way out. This is big time because the culture he lives in is a
"I-want-it-now, quick-fix" culture. Americans are not only known for
wanting it now, but also I-want-it-in-large-XXX. You will see it in the
cars, in the T.Vs, in the fridges in the kitchen. Both mindsets are
keeping obesity at its highest prevalence in the world, with their
cosmetic solution to losing weight.
What such a mind-set seems not to appreciate is that the cure for
obesity lies in changing the mindset. Obesity does not drop on you;
rather, it creeps on you morsel by morsel through your mouth. It sure
doesn't take two weeks. For Vaught it took months and years. Whoever
then said you can lose it in two weeks and keep it off for sure doesn't
know what they are talking about.The solution lies in what Vaught has
successfully done, attacking individual obesity from its main
underlying factor in a holistic long-term approach.
This
content is reviewed periodically and is subject to
change as new information on weight loss becomes
available. The information is intended for
educational purposes only. Please
consult your healthcare provider before beginning
any kind of weight loss program
