Wednesday, 15 July 2015

Bariatric Surgery And The Fight Against Obesity

By Phyllis Schroeder


Obesity is a condition in which there is an accumulation of excess fat in the body, to the extent where it may significantly affect the health and day to day activities of the individual. It can lead to increased health problems and even reduced life expectancy. This means that obese individuals may encounter higher possibilities of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, etc.

According to the 2010 data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, there are more than 2 in 3 adults in the US that are recognized as overweight or obese. The American Medical Association then categorized it as a chronic disease in 2013. Professionals understand how difficult it is for some patients to treat obesity with exercise and diet alone, and so the best decision for them would be to undergo surgery after all other options have been exhausted. New Jersey bariatric surgery requires that this be offered only when the patients have a BMI ranging from 35 to 40 without comorbidities or 30 to 35 if they have comorbidities.

Historically, a large weight was highly regarded as a symbol of wealth and fertility, and it still holds true in other parts of the world. Much of the modern world stigmatizes it though. Aside from being regarded as a chronic disease, in 2014, the European Court of Justice ruled morbid obesity as a disability due to reasons that if it prevents the individual from engaging fully in his professional life, the employer should see it as a disability and that firing him on such grounds is discriminatory.

Weight gain happens when there is energy imbalance or the calorie taken in is higher than the amount being burned. There are also factors such as genetic makeup, culture, eating habit, mood, geography, income, and lifestyle that can cause energy imbalance leading to weight gain. The most common solution would be to eliminate excessive food intake and increase bodily activities.

Certain individuals become obese because of a mix of reasons like genetic makeup and an unhealthy eating habit. One way to effectively shed those excess fats is an operation called bariatric surgery which is popular in Englewood, NJ. Individuals who have done all they could to lose fat deposits can now opt for this safe and painless procedure.

Surgery is still a very serious decision though. Patients need to be educated about the operation itself, its risks and benefits, and the treatment effects. They also have to be made aware of the changes they need to adjust to right after the operation.

The surgical procedure itself is done by reducing the size of the stomach with a detachable gastric band or a Lap Band. Another method is the gastric bypass or the removal of an area of the stomach. Or the doctor can reroute the small intestines to a small stomach pouch called Laparoscopic Roux en Y.

Producing and maintaining weight loss has no definite practice. After an operation, some patients would feel that they still have not reached their desired goals, while some regained over time. The amount regained may vary widely depending on the level of obesity and the kind of surgery.

For success to be achieved, patients must also commit to lifelong healthy eating and physical activity. They also need to change their habits and continue visiting for medical followup their whole lives. Healthcare professionals can help patients adjust to the physical and emotional changes so that the transformation will be more fulfilling and lasting.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment