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I had weight-loss surgery. Here’s what Honey Boo Boo, and everyone, gets wrong about it

"Toddlers & Tiaras" star Alana Thompson, 16, says she is considering a bariatric procedure because she's not motivated to eat healthy or exercise.
Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson
Santiago Felipe / WireImage
/ Source: TODAY

Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson will undergo a non-surgical weight-loss procedure this summer, her manager confirmed to TODAY. The former "Toddlers and Tiaras" star, now 16, told Entertainment Tonight she thinks it would be "the easiest way" to lose weight.

A TODAY Parents writer who had bariatric surgery in 2019 shares her candid thoughts with Alana.

Dear Alana, 

Before I had bariatric surgery, I went years without breaking a sweat. What was the point when the weight always came crashing back? I'd rather watch TV, thanks.

I was always the biggest girl in my class, and the youngest person in the Weight Watchers meeting. I wore cardigans during heat waves to cover my arms. I bailed on job interviews at the last minute because I was self-conscious about my size. I hated eating in front of other people, so I binged at night.

When I underwent a vertical sleeve gastrectomy or VSG, in 2019, I was 40 years old and I weighed 240 pounds. I’m 5 feet, 3 inches tall. 

Today, I’m roughly 141 pounds. At my lowest I was 137, but I’ve happily packed on muscle. I'm now that person who hits the gym while on vacation.

Honey (Boo Boo), it takes work. On Wednesday, you told “Entertainment Tonight,” that you're considering a procedure called a suture sculpt endoscopic sleeve because you don’t “have motivation” to eat healthy or exercise, and that weight loss surgery “would be, like, probably the easiest way to just lose it fast.”

Yes, you’ll lose it fast. Your hunger and cravings are dramatically reduced. With VSG, a portion of my stomach was removed, and I felt satiated after consuming 4 ounces of (healthy!) food. You’ll also notice a reduction in cravings — it’s pretty amazing. 

But you’ll likely fail to maintain that weight loss if you don’t make healthy choices most of the time. I eat whatever I want, but I focus on lean proteins because they keep me full, and I drink 64 ounces of water a day. Slider foods — simple, processed carbohydrates — slide right through my new stomach, and don't fill me up.


Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson
Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson called weight-loss surgery the "easiest way" to lose weight, but it actually takes a lot of work.Raymond Hall / GC Images

“Weight-loss surgery is not a panacea,” Dr. Caroline Apovian, co-director of the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at Brigham and Women's Hospital, told TODAY Parents. “If you consistently overeat, your stomach can get back to its normal size. To be successful, you have to make lifestyle changes."

That means you’re also going to exercise regularly, including both cardio and strength training, Apovian said.

Alana, I promise, once you make fitness a habit, you'll crave it. I rolled my eyes as I typed that last sentence, but I swear, it's true.

“If you don’t, you’re going to lose muscle and your skin is going to hang like crazy,” she explained. “Sure you can have a tummy tuck, but your body composition won’t be healthy. And while physically, you’ll be thinner, you’ll still have a lot of fat. Exercise is paramount.”

Alana, I promise, once you make fitness a habit, you'll crave it. I rolled my eyes as I typed that last sentence, but I swear, it's true. If I don't move my body for at least 20 minutes every day, I feel sluggish and mentally heavy.

I love running and spinning and exercise six days a week. TODAY's Al Roker, who had gastric bypass in 2002, goes on daily walks.

Earlier this week, while speaking with “Entertainment Tonight,” you shared that you’re still on the fence about having weight-loss surgery. You said, “I wanna make sure that it’s not something that’s, like, gonna kill me. And I just wanna make sure it’s something I actually wanna do before I go and do it.”

1. Weight-loss surgery is not going to kill you. The mortality rate is 1 out of every 2,000, about the same as gallbladder surgery. If anything, the operation will add years to your life. Disorders including sleep apnea, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood pressure and heart disease can all be reduced or reversed with bariatric surgery. Weight-loss surgery can cut your overall risk of developing types of hormone-related cancers. 

2. I agree: You should make sure it’s something you actually wanna do.

Whichever way you choose, I hope it makes you happy. In good health,

Rachel