Over 72 million adults in the United States are obese. Besides this disturbing figure lies a bigger problem: the life-threatening diseases that are linked to obesity. These obesity-related health problems include hypertension, hyperthyroidism, sleep apnea, and diabetes. For many obese people, gastric bypass or weight loss surgery is the best and fastest solution to their weight problem.

The many benefits of weight loss surgery outweigh its risks. Most patients lose 75 to 80 percent of their excess weight after the surgery. In a number of cases, the weight loss can be as much as 90 percent. Aside from weight loss, the following are the nine common advantages of weight loss surgery:

1. Lower chance of developing diabetes

Most obese or overweight people have blood sugar imbalances, which are difficult to deal with unless they lose weight. Studies have shown that diabetic patients who went through weight loss surgery had their blood sugar levels return to normal after the operation. About 90 percent of patients with type 2 diabetes are expected to live well without medications after going through weight loss surgery.

2. Reduced risk of hypertension and heart disease

Hypertension and heart disease are among the health problems linked to obesity. According to experts, weight loss surgery can help improve cardiovascular diseases and lessen their symptoms. Also, majority of weight loss surgery patients with hypertension may no longer need medications to treat their disease.

3. Lower chance of getting sleep apnea

A study has proved that sleep disorders associated with obesity can be easily treated with significant weight loss, and surgery plays a major role in improving a persons quality of sleep. Poor sleep, which is usually caused by discomfort and breathing troubles, can cause anxiety, fatigue, and stress during the day.

4. Better joint function

With substantial weight loss comes reduction of stress on the joints, which is caused by obesity or excess weight. The surgery, which leads to weight loss, lowers the risk of damage to the joints and bones.

5. Improvement of other health problems

Aside from the health problems mentioned above, the surgery can also help improve the following conditions: arthritis, asthma, breathing problems, reflux, and fatigue.

6. Continuous weight loss

The most noticeable effect of the surgery is, of course, immediate and substantial weight loss. With proper diet and lifestyle adjustments, the surgery can lead to long-term weight loss and improved quality of life.

7. Improved mobility and physical abilities

Life after weight loss surgery is much better because it makes movements much easier and helps a person perform better when it comes to physical abilities.

8. Longer life

Because weight loss surgery helps reduce a patients risk of developing deadly diseases, it is able to extend a persons lifespan. A study conducted in 2002 found that people who lost weight after undergoing the surgery have increased lifespan of up to three years.

9. Increased self-esteem

Weight loss surgery leads to not only health benefits, but also to a positive image of oneself. Losing excess weight definitely improves ones appearance as well as the confidence to pursue what a person wants in his life. And with a self-esteem boost, one can have an improved quality of life and interaction with other people.

Gastric bypass surgery, with the many benefits it offers, is undoubtedly one of the best recourse to solve obesity problems.

Tags: arthritis;, asthma;, Blood Sugar Levels, Bypass Surgery, Cardiovascular Diseases, diabetes;, Diabetic Patients, disease, Diseases, Excess Weight, fatigue;, Gastric Bypass, Gastric Bypass Surgery, Health Problems, heart disease Hypertension, heart disease;, hypertension;, Hyperthyroidism, Life Threatening Diseases, obesity;, Patients With Hypertension, Patients With Type, Related Health, Sleep Apnea, sleep apnea A, Sleep Disorders, Substantial Weight Loss, surgery, Surgery Patients, Type 2 Diabetes, United States;, Weight Loss Surgery —

Gastric bypass surgery is done to primarily solve or treat morbid or severe obesity and other health problems associated with it. With this procedure the stomach is made smaller. The food will bypass part of the small intestine. By doing so, the patient will consume less because he feels full immediately. Getting full easily would reduce the calories taken by the body and eventually lead to weight loss.

Actually, gastric bypass is just among the many similar operations to reduce obesity. To refer all of these procedures, bariatric surgery is the term. These operations intend to reduce accumulated fatty tissues by altering the physiological and psychological attitude of a patient towards food and eating.

How does it alter normal digestion?

What normally happens is that after eating, the food would go through the stomach and then proceed to the small intestine. The nutrients are absorbed in the small intestine before it goes to the large intestine where waste is eventually pushed out of the body. The most common gastric bypass procedure, the Roux-en Y gastric bypass, alters this process.

In the Roux-en gastric bypass, a small pouch is made on the top part of the stomach. The lower part of the stomach, which is much smaller now, is connected directly to the middle part of the small intestine. The stomach was made smaller and at the same time, the intestine was cut short, the upper portion of the small intestine was bypassed. Both the upper portion of the stomach and the small intestine no longer digest food.

Statistics showed that patients would lose 60%, on the average, of their weight after the gastric bypass surgery. There are even who would say that they have lost 80% of their weight. There are studies showing that about 90% of patient who have undergone gastric surgery were able to maintain their weight loss after ten years of having the surgery performed.

Having gastric surgery is not risk-free though. People who have undergone this procedure would report more cases of gallstones, in other studies, they would also report nutritional issues like anemia or osteoporosis.

Every year there are about 140,000 gastric procedure being performed in the United States alone. The results could really be successful, with people being able to get better weight-loss results, however, about 2% of patients would find it very fatal. In the 2%, one percent could be as a result of complications during surgery. The heart in unable to support the pumping it has to do to handle the excess weight or the complication brought by it.

The other one percent cause of fatality among people who gone through the procedure, would be about not following the dietary restrictions that should be followed after the surgery. After gastric surgery, the body could no longer handle too much intake of high-sugar and high-fat food. There is a special diet that those who have just undergone the surgery should follow. Bypass diet would usually include foods that are high in protein but low in fat, fiber, calories, and sugar. There are vitamins and mineral supplements that are required to be taken to avoid health and nutritional deficiencies.

With more and more people turning to gastric bypass surgery as a weight-loss option, it is important to understand not only the procedure and the benefits. It is also important to weigh the risks and if our lifestyle and our body would be able to handle the dramatic loss of weight.

Tags: anemia;, Attitude, Bariatric Surgery, Bypass Surgery, Calories, Digestion, Fatty Tissues, Food Statistics, food;, gallstones, Gastric Bypass, Gastric Bypass Surgery, Gastric Surgery, Health Problems, high-fat food, Large Intestine, longer digest food, Nutrients, Nutritional Deficiencies, obesity;, osteoporosis;, Part Of The Small Intestine, Roux En Y Gastric Bypass, severe obesity, Stomach, surgery, United States;, Upper Portion, Weight Loss —

Obesity is worldwide problem. There are millions worldwide who are suffering from this disease. In the United States, there are about 12.5 million children and adolescents who are overweight. Children are also suffering from the diseases associated with obesity and disease traditionally seen only in older people, like diabetes and heart disease. Because of these health problems, they are looking for weight-loss options and gastric bypass surgery is one of them.

Gastric bypass surgery is not the popular among the young population though. About 1% of those who undergo the procedure are teens according to the survey reported in Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine in March 2007. There is a relative increase on the number of teens undergoing the procedure, but still remains unpopular or uncommon.

Sadly, obese children think that they are living a kind of life like those who have cancer and undergoing chemotherapy, according to the survey done by the Journal of the American Medical Association. Teens suffering from obesity would deal with being teased, socially not accepted, and unable to participate in social activities.

Not all obese teens are recommended to undergo gastric bypass surgery. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2004, there are guidelines that should be considered before a teen or an adolescent is recommended for gastric bypass or any weight-loss surgery:

Failed to lose weight by any organized attempt of weight management for the last six or more months, with an assistance of a doctor.

Have reached a physiological and skeletal maturity. Adolescents that have reached an age (or older) of 13 years old for girls and 15 years old for boys have reached this level of maturity.

Has a body mass index (BMI) of more than 40 associated with severe obesity-related problems. Has body mass index of more than 50 even though there are no serious obesity-related problems.

There are medical and physiological examinations and evaluations performed before the surgery, the teen undergoing that should be prepared to handle these evaluations.

In general, those who have undergone gastric bypass surgery are advised to avoid pregnancy at least two years after the surgery. This is to avoid any complications and increasing risk to the fetus because of drastic weight loss. Anybody, not only teens, should be aware and agree on this.

Prepared to follow strict dietary regulations after the surgery. There is a strict diet that patients should follow like low sugar, low fat, low-carbohydrates, and low-calories meal plans.

Have a supportive environment. Because of the dramatic change in their lifestyle, teens should have supportive family environment that will be able to guide them to the different changes. Often times, there are patients of weight loss surgeries who would suffer from different physiological and psychological side-effects, like depression. Families should be prepared in helping their children through these stages.

There are doctors who would say that conducting gastric bypass or other bariatric surgery on teen-agers are safer than conducting the procedure with adults. Teens have not developed any case of obesity-related problems like high blood pressure and heart disease which are common among adults and also increases the risks of surgeries. Teens also heal faster and required less time spent in the hospital.

There are many benefits by undergoing gastric bypass and weight-loss surgeries. Some patients would even report losing 5% of their weight within the first month and about 50 to 60% within a year. Associated obesity related problems are also reduced by having the surgery. However, not everybody is recommended to undergo the procedure.

Even a teen is required to have be able to make sound decisions, before undergoing surgery. Afterall, maturity does not come with age.

Tags: Academy Of Pediatrics, American Academy Of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, Archives Of Pediatric And Adolescent Medicine, Associated obesity, Bariatric Surgery, Body Mass Index, Body Mass Index Bmi, Bypass Surgery, cancer;, Chemotherapy, depression;, Diabetes And Heart Disease, diabetes;, disease, Diseases, Gastric Bypass, Gastric Bypass Surgery, Health Problems, heart disease;, high blood pressure;, Journal Of The American Medical Association, Obese Children, Obese Teens, obesity;, Overweight Children, Pediatric And Adolescent Medicine, Relative Increase, Skeletal Maturity, surgery, the Journal of the American Medical Association, United States;, Weight Loss Surgeries, Weight Loss Surgery, Weight Management, Worldwide Problem —

Hey if youre reading this it means you and I both have run up against that “cant lose weight myth”, but we both chose to believe it. It wasn’t our fault though, because our parents, friends, loved ones, co-workers and even people who didn’t like us, were quick to tell us to give it up, you will never lose weight. Chances are if you were like me you started believing them at an early age, perhaps as early as 4 or 5.

On top of that if it was your child hood friends, they taunted you with sayings like “Fatty, Fatty, 2 By 4 you can’t fit through the bathroom door. All of this because you were overweight and it didn’t matter what you did, it seemed you couldn’t get it off.

Stop believing right now that you cant lose weight. I’m here to tell you that its a myth and you can lose weight I did.

A short while ago I weighed well over 220 pounds (I was small boned and only 5’6”, had high blood pressure, borderline diabetic and my personal life was in a total melt down. I couldn’t hold a job because of my health problems and the people I tried to work with were worse than children about me being overweight. I was the joke of the work place, so as soon as I couldn’t take it anymore, I did my best to get laid off so I could collect unemployment or I just quit.

I did that one too many times and my family left me. Obviously I hit rock bottom then. I made up my mind I had to win them back and that’s when I found out “you cant lose weight” was a myth.

Shortly thereafter I was watching the Dr. Phil show and he was talking to people just like you and me. You know the “fat ones”. He told those folks they had to stop believing they couldn’t lose weight. Right then is when I realized that was precisely what was stopping me. I believed I can’t lose weight.

As I continued to listen to Dr Phil what he said made more and more sense. To make a long story short what he said was I had to believe I could lose weight and that I would have to change my lifestyle to accomplish my weight loss goals. The fact is I started that very day.

My first step was to go to my doctor and have him check me out to make sure I could start an exercise program without killing myself. Then I contacted a friend from my church and we became accountable to each other for each reprogramming our mind and reaching our weight loss goals.

Now here’s the fun part, we began to challenge each other in our goals, changing our lifestyle (eating habits) and progressing from a slow walk to a faster walk. Today we are up to 3 miles in just under 36 minutes.

Was this easy? Heck No! But I have lost 53 pounds and my friend has lost 47 pounds. The important thing is we have gotten it off and kept it off for more than a year. I’m now working and my family has allowed me back into their life. Is everything rosy, no but it’s a whole lot better than it was.

I’m living proof you cant lose weight is a myth. You need to search your mind, dig deep into your gut, get a plan together and stick to it.

Tags: Being Overweight, Borderline Diabetic, Co Workers, Dr Phil, Dr Phil Show, Eating Habits, Health Problems, Hey, high blood pressure;, Job, Joke, Lifestyle, Lose Weight, Losing Weight, Myth, Parents Friends, Personal Life, Phil, Rock Bottom, Sayings, Truth About, Unemployment, Weig —