8 bismarck.sanfordhealth.org
FAMILY TIME NOW MEANS FIT TIME Parents see significant results following weight-loss surgery
Matt Sperry saw his two young sons developing his same sedentary habits, and it helped spur him to action. “They’d come home from school or day care and immediately go turn the TV on and sit down,” Sperry said. “I realized that’s because that’s what I did.” Those behaviors started to change in October when Sperry underwent gastric bypass surgery at Sanford Health in Bismarck. Sperry’s wife, Kristen, had her own gastric bypass in December. Combined, the couple have shed 195 pounds in that short time frame, and the healthy choices Matt and Kristen now make post-operation have trickled down to their children. Matt took up rollerblading, and he started Taekwondo lessons with his 5-year-old son, Jackson. The family, which also includes 3-year-old Jonathan, spends far more time outside being active, including taking family bike rides along the Missouri River. “If I mentioned a bike ride or rollerblading to Matt before, it’d be like having a third child having a temper tantrum,” said Kristen, who found it difficult to promote an active lifestyle previously with Matt being reluctant. “It’s easier if you can do it as a family together rather than leaving one behind.” For Matt, the decision to have weight-loss surgery came after he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. He tried to lose weight through exercise and improved diet, and he did drop significant weight. He hit a plateau 100 pounds above his goal weight, though, which led to frustration. With his weight back up to 341 pounds, he asked his doctor about weight-loss surgery. Continued on page 10