Is Weight Loss Surgery Right For You?
With obesity on the rise Americans are looking to weight loss surgery as an answer to an ever growing epidemic. The latest statistics show that over 2/3 of Americans are overweight, and 1/3 of those Americans are obese, and these numbers are growing exponentially. It is no wonder why individuals are considering weight loss surgery for an answer to weight problem that plagues them.
Surprisingly, it is expected that over 150,000 Americans will have some form of weight loss surgery this year. Those numbers would probably sky rocket if it weren't for the $25,000.00 - $40,000.00 it cost for the various types of weight loss surgery.
There are two main types of weight loss surgery. The first type of weight loss surgery is a restrictive method. If a weight loss surgeon uses the restrictive method he/she will perform one of two types of weight loss medical procedure.
The first restrictive medical procedure for weight loss is known to the public as stomach staple surgery. During this type of procedure a small pouch is formed from the stomach using staples. This type of surgery is what pioneered the advancements in weight loss surgery. It is rarely used anymore since the second type of restrictive surgery, known as lap-band surgery, has been discovered.
Lap-band surgery is one of the most common types of weight loss surgeries that are being performed today. It is more effective than stapling the stomach, and less invasive. With this type of procedure a small pouch is still made in the patients stomach; however, it is made with a plastic band, or a lap-band. The unique thing about this lap-band is the fact that it is adjustable. There is a small pad that is set just under the skin during lap-band surgery. This pad is connected via a small tube to the lap-band that is around the stomach. Saline can be injected into this pad if needed at any point in the future.
The purpose of this pad is to be able to adjust the ring or the band that is around the stomach. If a person is not staying as full as they need to be, saline in inserted into that pad thus tightening the band around the stomach. When this band is tightened it takes longer for the food to move through the band into the rest of the stomach. The longer it takes for the food to move through this band, the longer the weight loss surgery patient stays full.
The second type of weight loss surgery is called bypass surgery, or gastric bypass surgery. With this type of surgery, a pouch is still formed in the stomach with staple; however, a bypass valve is setup to bypass a portion of the small intestines. This type of weight
loss surgery is more invasive than the lap-band surgery.
Depending on your individual situation the doctor will consider two types of gastric bypass surgery. The only difference between the two is how much of the small intestine is actually bypassed.
When gastric bypass surgery is performed it inhibits the body from effectively digesting the food all the way. The body absorbs fewer calorie and fewer fats when a part of the small intestine is bypassed. The idea behind this type of weight loss surgery is to limit the amount of nutritional components that the body can absorb. That is why it is typical that most weight loss surgery patients have to have nutritional supplements to maintain their health.
You might wonder why weight loss surgery is so popular. Well, it really is simple. With obesity on the rise, Americans' health is on a steady decline. There are several conditions that are associated with obesity.
Medical Conditions Associated With Obesity:
ˇDiabetes
ˇHigh Blood Pressure
ˇSleep Apnea
ˇHigh Cholesterol
ˇHeart Disease
Would you be a qualifying patient for weight loss surgery? Typically in order to qualify for weight loss surgery you have to be morbidly obese; however there are some exceptions to that rule. Weight loss surgeons gauge a person's level of obesity by measuring your BMI (Body Mass Index).
BMI (Body Mass Index) Levels Chart
ˇIf Your BMI Is > 25 You Are Overweight
ˇIf Your BMI Is > 30 You Are Obese
ˇIf Your BMI Is > 35 You Are Severely Obese
ˇIf Your BMI Is > 40 You Are Morbidly Obese
To figure your BMI please visit the follow webpage: http://www.lose-weight-without-surgery.com/
With a said to be 1 in 200 fatality rate and the many complications that are associated with weight loss surgery, I highly advice anyone to give conventional treatments of obesity another try. You can overcome obesity with exercise, diet modifications, drug therapy, and behavior modifications. Is it easy? No it will not be easy.
Being that I am morbidly obese, I have chosen to give the conventional means of obesity treatment another chance before I resort to any type of weight loss surgery.
About the Author
Douglas Cromer is an average Joe who has set at to prove that morbidly obese people can lose weight without surgery. To follow his personal success or to subscribe to his free Weighloss News Minicourse please visit http://www.lose-weight-without-surgery.com/
dcromer@scsinc.info
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