Weight loss surgery as a treatment for obesity is becoming increasingly popular. According to WebMD, millions of individuals suffer with obesity. Many try to correct the situation through nutritional education and lifestyle changes, but treating obesity through diet and exercise alone is not always effective. When obesity associated health diseases interfere with a person’s quality of life, it may be time to consider weight loss surgery.
Severe Obesity, BMI Qualifications
When thinking about bariatric surgery, the first thing to consider is body mass index (BMI). To qualify for surgery, a person must have a BMI of 40 or more, or 35 to 39.9 with associated, weight-related health issues like high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea and heart disease. Since a normal BMI is 20 to 25, a BMI of 40 (roughly equivalent to being 80 to 100 pounds overweight) is considered severe obesity and can affect the length of a person’s life, as well as the quality.
BMI is the standard way of defining overweight, obesity, and morbid obesity. It is calculated by looking at a person’s height and weight. Though BMI is not always accurate, depending upon the amount of muscle a person is carrying as well as bone density, at a BMI of 35 or more, especially with co-morbid health concerns, it is still a good indicator of whether surgery treatment for obesity should be considered.
Other Weight Loss Surgery Considerations
Bariatrics is the field of medicine that treats obesity. When treating severe obesity, surgery is often considered for those who have not been able to lose weight on a conventional diet, or who have serious weight-related health issues. This is because morbid obesity and its related diseases negatively affect life expectancy, as well as the quality of life itself.
Weight loss surgery can have a large, positive impact on diabetes. Many discover they need less insulin after surgery. Some even go into remission. It is the same for other problems. Sleep apnea, heart disease, and high blood pressure are all generally brought under control. Other considerations are joint diseases that would be treatable if a person was not obese, and body size problems that interfere with employment, family concerns, and movement.
Bariatric Surgery Complications and Risks
A decision to use weight loss surgery as a treatment for obesity requires weighing out the benefits that bariatric surgery can provide against the risks. While life expectancy greatly increases when co-morbid conditions are brought under control, a person also needs to consider what can happen after surgery in order to make a well-informed decision.
Some of the possible physical risks are infection, bleeding, and in rare cases death. Many with emotional attachments to food find themselves depressed when food can no longer be the center of their lives. Some go through stressful trials with family and friends who are unable, or unwilling to make adjustments to the new lifestyle forced upon them. Unfortunately, those who choose surgery sometimes find themselves suddenly divorced or without friends.
Bariatric Surgery an Effective Weight Loss Tool
Severe obesity interferes with quality of life, but when a patient is well informed about the benefits and possibilities of weight loss surgery, bariatric surgery can be an effective weight loss tool. However, surgery is only a small part of any treatment for obesity. Bariatric surgery can redesign the digestive system to make a weight loss program easier, but it also takes dedication and commitment from the dieter to overcome the negative effects of food addiction.
By carefully weighing out the benefits of surgery against all possible risks, choosing weight loss surgery is only the beginning of the journey. Surgery works best when the dieter is committed to making the lifelong behavior and dietary changes needed to make his program of choice work well. That includes facing and dealing with personal emotional food issues, as well as being willing to become involved in lifelong aftercare so essential to avoid possible complications.
References:
Weight-control Information Network, “Bariatric Surgery for Severe Obesity” (accessed April 25, 2010)
NIH Consensus Development Program, “Gastrointestinal Surgery for Severe Obesity” (accessed April 25, 2010)
JAMA, Bariatric Surgery, Janet M. Torpy; Cassio Lynm; Richard M. Glass, 303:6, 576 (doi:10.1001/jama.303.6.576)
WebMD, “What to expect after weight loss surgery” (accessed April 24, 2010)
Bariatric Surgery Program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, “When to Consider Weight Loss Surgery,” by Rhonda Mann (accessed April 24, 2010)
Vickie Ewell - Vickie has worked with autistic individuals for 9 years. She has celiac disease and specializes in gfcf living.
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