At last! Etta James loses 200 pounds and finds a new zest for life
Ebony, Sept, 2003 by Joy Bennett Kinnon
WHEN the band strikes up blues diva Etta James signature song, "Come to Mama"--"mama" can swing with the music for the first time in years.
After struggling with a lifelong weight problem, James made what she terms a "lifesaving decision" and underwent gastric bypass surgery, called the Fobi Pouch, dropped 200 pounds, and feels better than she has in years.
For years the veteran singer had to be pushed onto stage in a wheelchair due to chronic knee problems, complicated by her ever-increasing weight. It prevented her from touring and even more important, it threatened her life.
"I thought I was going to die," recalls James, who currently weighs about 220 pounds. "I was constantly worried that I was going to have a heart attack. Dr. Fobi saved my life."
The Fobi pouch essentially reduced James' stomach, creating a pouch, which limits her food intake and gives her the sensation of being full much more quickly. Dr. Mai Fobi is one of the nation's top obesity surgeons and has helped other entertainers lose weight, including JoMarie Payton and Roseanne Barr. In fact, it was Barr who convinced James to seek Dr. Fobi's help when she sang on her show a few years ago.
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