WGN weather anchor Tom Skilling is shocking viewers with his dramatic weight loss. Citing his health as his primary concern, the Chicago meteorologist underwent gastric bypass surgery in March. He has since lost 110 pounds.
The station aired an 8 minute segment in which medical reporter Dina Bair detailed Skillings journey. Skilling had been struggling for years with his weight, citing sleep apnea, immobility and exhaustion as factors in his decision to undergo surgery.
“I didn’t realize how badly I felt,” Skilling said. “I would come up with every excuse in the book not to walk because I felt so bad. I would wake up in the morning short of breath.”
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Skilling has relied on a team of health professionals to help get him in shape, including a chief to help alter his diet and portion his food. Fortunately, Skilling is no longer dependent upon his CPAP machine, previously required for his sleep apnea, and no longer requires medication for his blood pressure.
Now down 8 suit sizes, Skilling is only 8 pounds from his ideal weight.
“I’m a different person, psychologically and otherwise to be able to walk and not feel like your life is coming to an end or you’re sick,” said Skilling, who was back to work by April. “The high you get out of getting into clothes that are in sizes that you remember as a college student or a teenager is stunning. I’m a different human being.”
With obesity counted among the most lethal underlying health conditions for those infected with covid-19, Skilling can feel relieved that his risk of experiencing major complications has dramatically improved during the pandemic.
