Some people are fortunate. They easily lose weight. Others are not. For many of them, an option exists. This is medical weight loss surgery.
What Is It?
If you have to lose weight, one possibility is bariatric surgery. This involves a medical procedure to reduce excess weight. It is either restrictive or malabsorptive. Bariatric surgery is available in several different types. Among the most common are adjustable gastric banding (lap band surgery) and gastric bypass. However, as helpful and beneficial as these procedures may be in weight reduction, they are not for everyone.
Who Should Consider Bariatric Surgery?
Doctors do not recommend bariatric surgery for every person who is having a weight issue. The only people who should consider medical loss surgery should possess any of the following characteristics or features:
- Severe obesity: If the body mass index (BMI) is above 40 and has to date not responded to weight loss programs including diet, exercise and various medications,
- Health issues and obese: If the BMI is over 35 and the individual has co-existing serious medical problem(s) that would improve if the individual lost weight
- Obesity and certain medical conditions: Even if the BMI is as low as 30, medical weight loss surgery is possible if certain medical conditions are coexisting, threatening serious consequences and improved through the surgery, e.g., “metabolic syndrome.”
Other exceptions are possible for those of certain racial background. Southeastern Asians and Indians, for example, may qualify although they may have lower BMIs.
Considering Medical Weight Loss
If you are clinically obese, you may want to consider losing weight through bariatric surgery. This is also true if you are beset by various medical conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome. Talk to a specialist about your desire to lose weight. Demonstrate how you have tried all other options – from diet and exercise to medications. This will provide you with the opportunity to undergo medical weight loss surgery.
