Surgical treatment of obesity is a uniquely invaluable approach to those who are especially obese. Successful bariatric surgery leads to loss of at least 50 percent of excess body weight (not total weight), sustained for three to five years after the operation. For example, consider a 5-foot, 5-inch woman weighing 240 pounds (BMI of 40). A healthy weight for her height would be no more than 155 pounds, so her excess weight is 85 pounds (240 – 155 = 85). Successful surgery for her would be post-operative loss of 42.5 pounds (50 percent of 85 pounds), maintained over three to five years. About 50 percent of patients undergoing bariatric surgery achieve this success. These results far exceed those of any non-surgical method.
Successful surgery has additional benefits not measured on the bathroom scale. It will cure seven or eight out of 10 type 2 diabetics and six of 10 people with hypertension. Remarkable improvement or resolution are also seen in low back pain, lower limb joint pain, obstructive sleep apnea, obesity-hypoventilation syndrome, and obesity-related asthma. Most medical complications of obesity improve, resolve, or at least stabilize. These medical improvements explain why surgical patients, on average, have lower monthly medication expenses, fewer sick days, and improved quality of life. Finally, surgery probably increases life span. [Continued....]
All matters regarding your health require supervision by a personal physician or other appropriate health professional familiar with your current health status. Always consult your personal physician before making any dietary or exercise changes.