Should The Criteria For Weight Loss Surgery Be Lowered?

In a recent study, researchers at the University of Gothenburg found that while weight loss surgery is currently offered to patients who have a BMI of a certain level, many patients could be helped sooner simply through surgical intervention. Currently, patients need to have a body mass index, or BMI, of over 40 in healthy people, or 35 plus in those suffering with other risk factors such as diabetes. In the study, researchers examined 104 cases and found that although they were all operated on, the majority of them were actually too low to meet the requirements.

There is no proof that weight loss surgery offers a lower risk of diseases such as diabetes, as the study proved that the effects were the same for both sets of patients – those who had undergone weight-loss surgery and those who hadn’t. However, for conditions such as cardiovascular disease, the level of risk factor was reduced among patients who were not eligible for the surgery. Previous studies have shown that there is generally a longer lasting weight loss in those who undergo surgery for their condition, as well as a lowered risk of ailments such as heart disease, stroke and premature death. Researchers believe that the requirements for this type of surgery should be changed to accommodate the new findings.

Those with strict BMI limits are only treating patients with a high risk of future diseases, which means there are many who are not receiving treatment but could greatly benefit. It was also argued that a patients’ blood glucose and insulin levels should also be taken into account. Obesity is a common condition across the globe thanks to our modern lifestyles and poor diets. It can lead to many health concerns, including a range of damaging illnesses. If you think you may be at risk of being dangerously overweight, speak to your GP who can advise you how to navigate a healthier lifestyle.

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Should The Criteria For Weight Loss Surgery Be Lowered?

Categories: new study, obesity, weight loss surgery

Gastric Surgery: It"s Not All About Your Weight-Loss

Most of us who have tried to lose weight are sure to agree – it isn’t easy. Instead of slimming down and staying at a healthy weight we may find that our body mass index fluctuates from year to year as we attempt new diets that don’t work for us. If we’re severely overweight and have been battling for years to slim down then we might want to opt for weight-loss surgery instead.

Are we eligible?

Depending on where we live in the world, we might need to meet different criteria so our doctors put us forward for operations that can help us shed excess pounds. For example, our body mass index might have to be over 40. If it’s under 40 but over 35, then we may be considered for the operation if we also have other wellness issues connected to our weight. These could include type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Even if we meet all the criteria, some surgeons may put us on healthy eating plans combined with exercise regimes to see if having this will help. If they don’t work for us then we may be scheduled for one of three operations.

Which procedure?

Gastric surgery is a welcomed option for some of us who struggle with severe weight problems, and weight-loss is just one of the positive outcomes of the procedure. After having it, we may also suffer less from wellbeing issues that were caused by our body mass index, meaning we could really improve our all-round health with an operation of this type. There are three main kinds of procedure, with new methods being developed all the time.

Gastric band surgery involves having a band fitted around our stomach limiting its size and the amount we can eat. The gastric sleeve procedure is for those who want a permanent option as it involves taking out up to 85 per cent of the stomach. More invasive is a gastric bypass, which also results in partial stomach removal, in addition to bypassing a section of our intestines, so food has less time to be absorbed. Although some of these procedures are permanent they generally have the desired effect on our weight and chatting to our GPs about our options will reveal more about gastric surgery.

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Gastric Surgery: It"s Not All About Your Weight-Loss

Categories: gastric surgery, healthy weight, weight, weight loss surgery