Surgical Weight Loss Options
Once the decision to lose weight is made, most people find that losing weight can be a lonely and frustrating process. For many obese people, diets and/or medical therapy have not produced any real solution to their weight problems.
If you are looking for a safe and effective means to achieving permanent weight reduction, bariatric surgery (sometimes referred to as gastric bypass surgery or weight loss surgery) may be the answer for you.
Malabsorptive Weight Loss Surgery
Malabsorptive procedures often involve rerouting the intestinal anatomy so as to reduce the body’s ability to digest and absorb food. These procedures are often referred to as intestinal bypass operations or gastric bypass operations and are usually used in combination with restrictive approaches.
Examples of Malabsorptive Weight Loss Surgeries are:
Duodenal Switch
Gastric ByPass
Restrictive Weight Loss Surgery
Some bariatric surgery procedures work solely by restricting the amount of food and therefore calories a person can take in. These procedures focus on changing the size of the stomach in some way and do not have an associated intestinal component to the surgery.
Examples of Restrictive Weight Loss Surgeries are:
Sleeve Gastrectomy
Lap Band
Why it matters
What is your BMI? Although a majority of people are not aware of their BMI, that number has a profound influence on your health and life expectancy.
Studies show us that a BMI over 25 can have serious consequences in regards to your health. Medical conditions such as diabetes and hypertension are associated with excess body weight. In turn, heart disease – the #1 cause of death in the USA – is directly associated with diabetes and hypertension.
A BMI over 30 has an even greater impact on health. Once the BMI is over 35 most medical institutions and some insurance companies will support surgical weight loss. A BMI over 40has been shown to shorten life expectancy by 8-13 years.
Where your BMI stands is literarily a matter of life and death. Even if you don’t know what that number is, it is affecting you daily.
