Rosie O’Donnell Opens up about Weight Loss Surgery

It’s always controversial when a celebrity decides to have surgery to lose weight, and Rosie O’Donnell knows all about how it feels to be that kind of celeb. The View co-host admits that she had weight-loss surgery, and the results are obvious. The star has lost more than 50 pounds and she’s looking better than ever. However, she doesn’t advocate the surgery for those looking for a way to lose weight the easy way.

“In my opinion, this surgery is something that needs a little more attention for people who have suffered with morbid obesity their whole lives. This has really, really helped me,” she said of her vertical gastric sleeve surgery that she had performed in July 2013. The surgery was performed after the star had a very scary health problem that caused her to realize that she needed more help than she could give to herself.

However, she is quick to point out that this is not the kind of surgery that is considered a shortcut to weight loss. It’s something that she’s struggled with and it’s something that she’s had a lot of issues making happen.

“Everyone has to approach it in a way that feels right with them, but once you have the surgery, it’s not a magic pill. It’s still hard. You have to risk your life, and you’re in severe discomfort for a couple of months, and it forces you to modify your behavior when you haven’t been able to before,” she says of the long road she’s faced since having the surgery more than a year ago. The cohost suffered a heart attack in 2012 and it was a big wakeup call for her and for her health. She understood that if she didn’t do something to lose the weight and get healthy, she’d have even more problems.

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