As recent reported in a number of sources, E.J. Johnson, noted reality TV star and the son of basketball legend Magic Johnson, has achieved a truly impressive weight loss. A regular on the series Rich Kids of Beverly Hills, Johnson struggled with severe obesity without success until electing to have the sleeve gastrectomy procedure. In total, Johnson has lost a total of 180 pounds. When asked about how he maintains his new shape, Johnson noted that he has radically restructured his eating habits, and regularly takes part in intensive Pilates work-outs. While Mr. Johnson’s weight loss is particularly impressive in its scope, many people have also experienced extraordinary weight loss results with the help of bariatric surgery.

Mr. Johnson chose the right path. Fad diets and unregulated supplements are not only largely ineffective, but have little to no credibility in the scientific community. What’s more, even if these measures are marginally helpful, they fail to address the core issue that many people with severe obesity face – their relationship with food and portion control. The reality is that, as an individual begins to lose weight, the desire to overeat becomes progressively harder to resist. This means that people with greater amounts of weight to lose have harder challenges to face, the medical group notes. 

The sleeve gastrectomy procedure is becoming one of the most widely obtained weight loss procedures for a number of reasons. For starters, this minimally invasive procedure is actually scientifically proven to be an effective weight loss solution – with results that can be maintained in the long term. Furthermore, they note that the gastric sleeve procedure, which removes approximately 80% of the stomach, making the patient feel fuller from food faster, may have an effect in reducing the body’s production of hunger-inducing hormones.
While bariatric procedures are by no means a magic bullet against obesity, if the patient is truly prepared to make long-term changes in their diet and lifestyle choices, results such as Mr. Johnson’s are definitely within reach for many patients.