Marketing that Encourages an Un-Healthy Lifestyle

Is elective surgery the best solution for tackling the obesity epidemic that continues to grow in the United States? An interesting article, posted online in the Wall Street Journal – Weekly Ethics Review, titled “Industry Giants Push Obesity Surgery,” raises conflicting opinions about a new surgical procedure to help fight obesity called Gastric Banding. Similar to the idea of Gastric Bypass, Gastric Banding is a less invasive and less costly procedure with the same promising results. The procedure involves a silicone band that is surgically wrapped around the stomach to restrict the intake of food. Unlike Gastric Bypass, surgeons and doctors are heavily promoting this procedure and marketing the product as a great alternative. Additionally, Johnson and Johnson and Botox maker, Allergan, are both intensely advertising and fighting for market share of this new product. Gastric Bypass, which was once thought of a as a controversial weight loss procedure, is now back in the limelight but with the focus now on Gastric Banding.

The ethical dilemma in question is - should this product and procedure be heavily marketed or even marketed at all? If these types of procedures were considered the only method for curing obesity, then yes, I think marketing towards this type of product would be welcomed. However, we all know that under the typical scenario, a person elects to have this type of procedure because they do not care to take the alternative routes – exercising, dieting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. These alternatives are simple, healthy and proven methods for effective weight-loss. Surgeons all across the country are hosting seminars and websites promoting Gastric Banding. I think it is unethical for doctors, surgeons and health professionals to promote this type of surgery when there are alternatives available that provide similar results with less risk. These professionals should be promoting a healthy life-style that involves right choices, balanced diets and exercise regimes, not advertising that they support a risky quick fix solution where the chances for harmful side effects is greater and the long term consequences may still be unknown.

Additionally, the article mentioned that the companies that make the actual band for Gastric Banding, are now looking to expand the usage of this product to younger patients and people that are not considered obese. This creates more of an ethical dilemma. If surgeons and health professionals are advocates of Gastric Banding and support alternative means for using the band, more and more people will take advantage of this procedure, even those people that are not at a superior health risk. Even insurance companies are starting to cover these types of procedures. All this movement does is promote the wrong message on the importance of healthy life-styles.