"Fat Chef" Hides Lap Band Surgery

?People quitting or threatening to quit reality TV programs is pretty much a staple of the genre. The Food Network's "Fat Chef "series is no exception. Maggie, a Chicago pastry chef whose late-night binging caused her weight to go up to 275 pounds, quit the show after revealing to personal trainer Robert Brace that she had had lap band surgery. Neither Brace nor the other fitness and diet experts on the show were aware of Maggie's surgery. Brace told Maggie that their approach would have been different had she revealed the surgery at the beginning. Maggie declared that her lapband surgery was a matter of personal privacy, saying, "My lap band surgery is really none of Robert's business. Or anyone's business for that matter, and I would prefer not to talk about it," she said. Maggie decided to go it alone and quit the program after having lost 28 pounds, which is far from her goal weight loss of 67 pounds.

Like Maggie, celebrities who have had lap band surgery often do not like to discuss it. If they have lost significant amounts of weight, they prefer to make vague statements about exercising and eating right. Some celebrities have been forthright about their weight-loss surgeries, however. Sharon Osbourne, co-host of "The Talk" and wife of rock star Ozzie Osbourne, had lap-band surgery in 1999 and lost over 125 pounds. Kelly Osbourne, daughter of Sharon and Ozzie, lost weight while participating in "Dancing with the Stars." She disclosed to talk show host Piers Morgan that she nearly had lap band surgery, but decided against it. Ann Wilson, lead singer of the rock group Heart, had lap-band surgery several years ago and lost over 75 pounds.