Obesity
Treatment
Options
When you've tried
every diet
imaginable and still
can't seem to
control your weight,
it's easy to feel
like you're running
out of choices.
However, bariatric
surgery is one of
the most effective
options. It can help
you reach your
weight loss goals
when other
treatments have
failed. With
bariatric surgery,
patients can lose up
to 90 percent of
their excess body
weight.
Lap Band surgery
is considered the
best surgical
treatment for people
struggling with
morbid obesity.
Weight loss is
achieved by limiting
food intake and
suppressing
appetite. The Lap
Band procedure
drastically reduces
the functional
portion of your
stomach and creates
a small opening
between the stomach
and large intestine.
The procedure
requires a hospital
stay of
approximately three
days.
The Lap Band
procedure is one of
the newest morbid
obesity options.
Approved by the FDA
in 2001, the Lap
Band procedure uses
an inflatable ring
to control the flow
of food through the
digestive tract. The
band is then
adjusted to
accommodate your
individual weight
loss goals. The Lap
Band procedure is a
less invasive
alternative to
Roux-en-Y gastric
bypass and
generally requires a
hospital stay of
about 24 hours.
When considering
gastric bypass or
the LAP BAND
procedure, it's
important to know
that these morbid
obesity options
require a serious
commitment to proper
nutrition. In
addition to limiting
overall food intake,
these morbid obesity
options inhibit the
absorption of
vitamins and
minerals. You must
take care to choose
meals that are high
in vitamins and
protein. In some
cases, you may even
need to take a
dietary supplement.
Morbid Obesity
Surgery
When diet, exercise,
behavioral
modification, and
prescription drug
therapies have
failed, morbid
obesity surgery can
help patients
maintain a healthy
body weight. Morbid
obesity surgery aids
weight loss by
limiting food
intake, suppressing
appetite, and
slowing digestion.
However, patients
must still eat a
healthy diet and
exercise regularly
if they wish to gain
the maximum benefit
from the procedure.
Gastric weight loss
surgery is probably
the most well known
type of morbid
obesity surgery. It
is generally
performed on
patients who suffer
from diabetes,
hypertension, or
other
obesity-related
health problems.
Most patients are at
least 100 pounds
overweight and have
a BMI of 40 or more.
Doctors who perform
this type of morbid
obesity surgery
generally require
that patients be
able to produce
documentation
showing that they
have been
unsuccessful losing
weight through other
methods.
The LAP BAND
procedure is a newer
type of morbid
obesity surgery. It
was approved by the
FDA in 2001. This
type of morbid
obesity surgery is
less invasive than
gastric bypass and
requires a shorter
hospital stay.
Another benefit to
the LAP BAND
procedure is that
the band can be
adjusted to fit the
patient's individual
weight loss needs.
While gastric bypass
produces a more
rapid weight loss
during the first
year, both types of
morbid obesity
surgery result in a
similar long-term
weight loss. The
type of morbid
obesity surgery that
will work best for
you is dependent
upon your physical
health, medical
history, and weight
loss goals.
Consulting a
qualified bariatric
surgeon is the best
way to determine if
surgery is the best
morbid obesity
treatment for you.
Morbid Obesity
Treatment
When treating morbid
obesity, weight loss
methods must be
tailored to the
needs of each
individual patient.
While dietary
therapy alone may
help some people
lose weight, others
may need bariatric
surgery to assist
them in developing a
healthier lifestyle.
Medical
professionals such
as physicians,
nutritionists,
exercise
physiologists, and
bariatric surgeons
can help people
struggling with
morbid obesity
determine the best
method of treatment.
Dietary therapy is
the most commonly
prescribed morbid
obesity treatment.
Reducing the amount
of calories consumed
is a key component
of dietary therapy.
This generally
involves instruction
on how read
nutrition labels,
buy healthy foods at
the supermarket, and
prepare foods with
low-fat cooking
methods. Behavioral
modification
techniques such as
keeping a food diary
and learning how to
identify the
triggers of binge
eating may also be
used.
People who exercise
for at least 30
minutes on most days
of the week are more
successfully in
losing weight than
those who simply cut
calories. Doctors
often recommended
walking as a good
exercise program for
people struggling
with morbid obesity.
If you are having
trouble exercising,
you can start out
walking a short
distance and
gradually increase
the amount of time
you spend walking
each day.
When diet and
exercise alone don't
result in the
desired weight loss,
more drastic morbid
obesity treatment is
needed. Orlistat (Xenical),
Sibutramine (Meridia),
and Phentermine are
prescription drugs
that can be used to
promote weight loss.
Bariatric surgeries
such as the LAP BAND
procedure or gastric
bypass can also be
used to help
morbidly obese
patients who have
been unable to
control their weight
through diet and
exercise alone.
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