Gastric Banding Saves Career for Pro Football Player
Friday, August 20th, 2010Bigger is not always better, even in pro football. Just ask Philadelphia Eagles lineman Max Jean-Gilles. Max has always been a big guy, even as a youth he was uncommonly large. However, his size allowed him to excel in football since he was quick on his feet as well.
Fast forward some years later and his bigness continued to get bigger, and not in the best possible way. After a successful career playing for the University of Georgia, Max was picked up by the NFL which landed him with the Philadelphia Eagles. Unfortunately, he began to get injured, as a result of his weight. He was continuing to put on more and more weight which was having it’s affects on his ability to play.
He had reached a pinnacle of 400 lbs and was quickly being removed from any plan the Eagles originally had hoped for him. In desperation, he knew he had to do something or risk losing his career altogether. However, diets didn’t do it for him, no matter how much he tried he just couldn’t take off the additional weight. Then one day his wife, Maggie, suggested that he look at surgical weight loss options. This ended up saving his carreer and possibly his life.
Max chose a minimally invasive procedure using a gastric band. An adjustable gastric band, also marketed under the name of Lap-Band, is surgically inserted around the upper portion of the stomach which, when properly adjusted, restricts food intake helping people to curb their appetite and eventually lose weight.
According to Max, food had always been his weakness. He would love to eat a whole bucket of chicken throughout the day. Now after surgery he quickly fills up and has lost his ability to gorge himself.
Now three months later after surgery and 50 lbs lighter, he just completed Eagles summer training camp surviving the cut and is ready for the new season.
The original article can be found here on Fanhouse.


