Leandro Fernandez
Professor Elmore
ENC 1102
2900498
February 5, 2012

The Irony in “Bariatric Surgery: The Unspoken Truth”
In Escudero’s essay, “Bariatric Surgery: The Unspoken Truth,” he explores the risks and benefits of gastric bypass surgery. In this argumentative essay the author explains what the surgery is, what it does and how the different lifestyles of the patients change drastically in order to support their new body. Escudero mentions how before reaching a decision there should be research conducted in order to determine whether the operation is right for the individual whose life is at risk. He begins with a background check of what the surgery does and then incorporates positive and negative feedback from the surgery.
Escudero’s emotional appeal is very effective from his encounter with Mary Luz. This leads me to my next point. As great of an asset as Mary Luz is for creating a strong appeal to pathos, not having a positive interview or an inspiring example of a gastric bypass patient diminishes the author’s appeal to logos because with no way to support his original claim it makes it seem as if he argues against himself.
However, one must give credit where credit is due and the author of this essay should be recognized for his efforts in writing a paper with all the facts. His visual aid of placing a picture of a real life example of sagging skin was embedded into my brain and he made sure that I will not soon forget that image. Most of the facts he discussed did come from professionals on the topic including nutritionists and doctors making his paper more credible. To a certain extent the author did convince the reader of his point of view although excluding some of the material in the later part of his paper or integrating the different side of the surgery would have aided his cause even more.
Despite the fact that I did learn quite a lot from reading this essay I disagree with the author in thinking that being put under the knife is necessary for a healthy life. If you are overweight and are physically in danger, than you should understand your situation by making the right choices and seeking help before it