Weight-Loss Procedures
Gant Daily, 10th January 2009
Talking about weight issues just after Christmas holiday may not be comfortable but the fact is two thirds of our population is overweight and about 5% is obese. It is now a world epidemic.
Most people make New Year’s resolutions but not everyone is able to solve the problem. Losing weight is not easy and maintaining it is even more difficult.
How to find out who is overweight and who is obese? A severely obese person weights 100 pounds above his/her ideal weight. It is more accurate to calculate BMI (body mass index). It takes into account weight as well as height. A normal BMI is between 20 and 25. A BMI between 25 and 30 means excess weight. If it’s between 30 and 35, if qualifies as obese, if it’s over 35, it’s clinically severely obese if there are obesity-related health problems. If there are not health issues but the BMI is 40 or more, it is also considered as clinically severely obese.
Obese patients are not left alone with their problems. If they fail to loose weight, they can turn to weight-loss surgery. The most common procedures are gastric bypass and adjustable gastric band. There are also other possibilities that can be discussed with a doctor depending on the patient’s needs.
One of the new possibilities of weight loss is vertical sleeve gastrectomy. This procedure combines elements of gastric bypass and gastric band. In vertical sleeve gastrectomy the stomach is shaped into a long narrow tube. This allows control how much the patient can eat at a given time. A part of the stomach is removed so the patient feels fuller for longer, even after having eaten a small amount of food.
The new method can be performed with small incisions and minimal pain. Patients are up and about the day after the operation. It is said to be very effective in weight-loss as well as improving health problems related with obesity.
