After that surgery, the guy cannot eat a normal amount of food any longer. He's on that calorie restricted diet whether he wants to be or not. His gut was trimmed - more than trimmed - surgically. He's not going to change that unless there is a brand new technique developed to restore what the surgeons previously removed. The other alternative would be to put Steve on TPN (feeding thru a nasal tube or an IV) to supplement what food he can digest. That would probably not be a great thing for a guy as active and as much of a control freak as SJ. Often times patients say it's better than dying - but not much better. SJ is a VERY rich man, has a second family, fairly young kids, a gorgeous (and we hear adoring) wife. The guy has a LOT to live for! But the old argument of quantity vs quality comes into play. The surgery he's undergone saved his life but he paid one hell of a price for it's salvation. He probably feels sick most of the time. Patients who've undergone that procedure have told me the upset stomach and feeling if being near to vomiting is nearly constant. I do know that SJ and his spouse have declined all holiday invitations this year, including some from various charities they've supported generously for years. Supposedly they declined an invitation to the Obama inauguration as well. And they supported the Democratic party generously during the campaign. Sounds to me like he's sick again. Or just sick of being sick. Dealing with your own mortality and options at only 53 has to be difficult. But sadly, he looks like he's 63 or more. Probably feels like it, too. And that assumes things have not gotten worse. His wife quietly consulted with a well known Plastic Surgeon in SF recently. (The office staff talked to a friend of ours.) Seems his health issues have taken their toll on her face and she doesn't want to look like she's the kids grandma vs mother. Certainly the money for a surgical overhaul (for her) is not an issue, but apparently finding the time for a little nip and tuck and a couple of weeks recovery time are something of a challenge to her right now. Wonder what that bodes? Sounds like she's busy - very busy- at home doing something only she can do personally. Like supervising his care? SJ has been seen at Apple's campus on occasion. But less than he used to be. He has always traveled a great deal and apparently he's not doing that much any longer, either. The infamous plane he was given by the grateful Apple Board has been sitting on the runway more and more lately. When he does show up at Apple's campus, he's in his office, meeting with his assistants and his lieutenants and then out of the building and home again. All this takes place in the space of a couple of hours... or three at the outside. On many occasions spouse type is with him - or his trainer - or a friend. And they're seen driving rather than him piloting that MBZ himself like he used to. Everyone who has seen him face to face says he looks far worse than he did a few months ago. The weight is further down and his coloring is NOT robust or healthy at all in spite of some liberal use of self-tanners in an attempt to hide the paleness of his skin and the gray undertones. Any Apple Employee who has seen him and who dared to talk directly about it would probably be out on their ass in a heartbeat. The secrecy is serious. Very serious. My guess is that he's going to announce he's stepping down after the first quarter and his succession plan is already being put in place. He will stay on as the CEO Emeritus until he passes away or gets better. But chances of a meaningful recovery are probably slim at this point. He may have decided to take what is left of his time on earth and spend it with the family and friends that are closest to him. THAT would certainly be a very human decision. He'll also try to minimize the damage to Apple Stock as he exits. I would guess there's already a few world changing products in the pipeline that will roll out at the ADC in the spring... and beyond. It's fairly certain that MacWorld isn't going to see anything major other than what it's already seen by virtue of Apple calling it quits and the myriad of ramifications from that decision. A "Mac World" without Apple is nearly unthinkable. Yet it is happening! Wow.
For the record - we lived in the bay area (Los Gatos Hills) for many years and we know several "top of the heap" Apple execs and their families as friends and neighbors. My "speculation" is largely fueled by the bits and pieces both my wife and I have heard from people much closer to SJ than we are. Just my thoughts based on what we all know of the man - with a little extra thrown in via recent observation at the corporate and personal level.
Above all, Apple nor STEVE JOBS is NOT STUPID. They know full well the impact their silence is having and they would avoid it if there were something, anything, positive to announce and get the focus on his health shifted elsewhere. Sadly, there is not such a thing. Now the team must convince the world that Apple will go on long after Steve Jobs is not a part of it on a daily basis. I suspect that his spirit and intensity of personality will be there long after his body has left this earth - at least I like to think so...
The world wouldn't be the same without him.