Health Rationale for the Obese

Surgery is not often considered for those seeking treatment for the problem of obesity.  This makes sense, because folks always ought to do all they can with the old standards of diet and exercise before moving on to choose invasive procedures such as surgery.  However contrary to common perception , surgery usually should not be held back until a person is “near unto death” from the weight .  It turns out that surgery for obesity is very often necessary to improve health and save life for people who are not all that old or all that ill , once they have exhausted non-surgical treatment plans.

The rationale for bariatric surgery in properly enlightened, motivated, and prepared patients goes like this:

1. Serious obesity causes major medical straining and damage to body organ systems. It has been statistically proven that when a person reaches a Body Mass index number (BMI) greater than 30, they have an increased risk of major medical problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer. Obesity causes health problems and shortens life. Read more about the medical impact of obesity.
2. There is no more effective treatment other than surgery that provides a decent chance of substantial and sustained weight loss. Almost everyone has lost weight with diet , exercise, or some other non-surgical treatment. However, once a person reaches a BMI > 40 (usually about 100 pounds overweight), they have more than a 95% chance of regaining any weight that has been lost unless there is surgical support. Current medical rationality indicates that this regain is caused by the biology of obesity , and not because the obese person lacks intelligence or “moral fiber.”
3. Bariatric surgery is effective. Several surgical procedures help create substantial and consistent weight loss. The weight loss does actually result in  higher quality of life . Read more about the weight loss outcomes of surgery and the health improvements after bariatric surgery by visiting our Knowledge Bank.
4. Bariatric surgery is reasonably safe. Of course any surgery that is done in a person who suffers from morbid obesity will have risk. The thing to remember is that the alternative, which is to continue living with the obesity and the damage it causes, usually carries much greater risk than the surgical .
5. Weight Loss surgery is cost effective. On average, it takes 3-5 years for a bariatric surgical patient to “break even” on the initial costs by reducing ongoing healthcare costs . This shows up through lower cost of drugs , fewer doctor visits, less need for procedures such as knee joint replacement, caused by the excessive weight.

A great deal of valuable information is available at : American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. www.ASMBS.org as well as http://www.ndwls.com and numerous places online.  If you are interested in learning more, I recommend you read up as much as possible and speak with your physician.  Dr. John Pilcher, at New Dimension Weight Loss Surgery is known throughout the US as one of the foremost physicians in this field.  Feel free to contact him directly.