From 468 Lbs to 10K Runner:  Dignity Health Surgeon Transforms Young Valley Man's Life  

(Gilbert, Ariz. - Oct. 21, 2025) – A young Valley man is now an avid runner, completing several 5k and 10k races, after undergoing a dramatic 130-pound weight loss transformation through Dignity Health’s Bariatric Surgery and Weight Loss Program. Today, Samuel Martinez, 29, is sharing his story in an effort to encourage others to take the first step of their weight loss journey in an effort to live a longer and healthier life.

“Before the surgery, walking a mile took me 40 minutes,” says Martinez of Maricopa, Ariz. “Now, I can run a mile in 12 minutes.”

Running is an analogy for Martinez’ weight loss journey because every race begins with a single step. For Martinez, the first step came after his father, who was also obese, died at age 50 in 2018, when Martinez was 25. Martinez had struggled with his weight since elementary school, and it ballooned during the pandemic. 

“I said, ‘I’m not halfway through living. If I don’t change my ways, I’m also going to die at 50,” said Martinez.

Martinez had trimmed his weight from 468 pounds to 338 pounds. But even with that dramatic weight loss, he continued to struggle with sleep apnea, high blood pressure and hypertension. He was also diagnosed as pre-diabetic. 

This prompted Martinez to seek additional support and he decided to explore surgical weight loss options through a consultation with Shawn Stevenson, DO, chief of bariatric and foregut surgery with Dignity Health in Arizona, in 2023.

“Our program prides itself on evaluating each patient’s individual needs and developing a care plan to help them achieve their weight loss goals,” said Dr. Stevenson. “After meeting with Samuel, we came to the conclusion that the duodenal switch surgery could be a solution for him.”

Duodenal switch is a complicated procedure that combines the removal of a large portion of the stomach with an intestinal bypass, shortening the path that food takes through the intestines. It also restricts how much food the stomach can hold and how much nutrition is absorbed from food by the small intestine while reducing hunger hormones. 

This procedure is designed for those who are severely obese, with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of greater than 35  and can reduce the risk of other obesity-related conditions.  These include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, 13 different obesity related cancers and reduced heart attack and stroke. 

“The surgery completely changed my life,” said Martinez. “When I look in the mirror, it’s cool that I look nice. But, for me, the biggest thing is that I’m not tired all the time and I don’t have to take hypertension medicine. The cosmetics are very much secondary.”

Two years after his surgery at Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, the 6-foot Martinez weighs about 200 pounds and logs 2 to 2.5 miles a few times a week. In addition to regular exercise, Martinez maintains his weight through his support team. He meets quarterly with a dietician and other members of the bariatric surgery and weight loss program. This has helped him completely change his relationship with food and is no longer considered pre-diabetic. 

“The most gratifying thing we see in our practice is the change in people’s lives,” said Dr. Stevenson. “This is more than  weight loss surgery to me. I’m helping people change the way that their body functions. I’m helping them with their confidence and ability to be active. Samuel is a great example of what we want to see from our patients.”

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