24-7PressRelease.com, 23rd September

Weight-loss surgery is only a first part of the long-term process. Patients need a post-operation program to continue weight-loss. Patients in Columbus tried marathons and half marathons. Fresh Start Posse is a weight-loss support system started in 2006 for Fresh Start patients.

“Our success would not have been possible without Fresh Start Bariatrics at Riverside Methodist Hospital, and its comprehensive weight loss program,” Chris Burkhardt, a 9-1-1 dispatcher in Columbus, who had weight loss surgery in 2006 and is now an active part of the Fresh Start Posse, said. “The Fresh Start Posse serves as a way for us to stay connected, and participate in various new activities together; we’re energized by our new lifestyle and the friendships and support from other Fresh Start patients is important for our continued weight loss success.”

The Fresh Start Posse was created by a group of weight-loss surgery patients who understood they had to stay active in order to continue weight-loss and change lifestyle. Making new friends and support from other people was also very important. The group provides information about marathons, races and other events. The Fresh Start Posse do them as a group.

The Group does not require participation, everything is voluntary. Some patients, however, took part even in extreme events such as parasailing and sprint triathlon. They realize they could never done it before the weight-loss.

Members of the group stress the importance of being part of a group after the surgery. It is very important to ask questions, being listened to and get support.

Patients who plan the surgery should try to find as much information as possible not only about the procedure but also about the post-operation care. It is a great key to success to know what to expect.

Telegraph.co.uk, 28th August 2009

In eight out of ten cases diabetes can be cured by weight-loss surgery, the studies show. The research was carried out by Dr. Henry Buchwald from the University of Minnesota. More than 135.000 patients took part in the study. Most of the patients saw at least some improvements, if not a complete recovery.

Diabetes is a serious problem. More than 2.5 million British suffer from the disease. The cause of the problem is mainly obesity and, as it becomes an epidemic of XXI century, the number of diabetes patients is expected to rise.

As people become more aware about their health, the NHS weight-loss procedures were about 50% more common than last year. The surgery not only helps to start a new life-style but also completely cured diabetes of 78.1% of patients. 86.6% of patients saw at least some improvements.

The results of the study were presented in Paris at the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders.

“Faced with a rising tide of diabetes it is essential that we actively seek new strategies to manage the disease. Bariatric surgery holds significant promise in this area and, as an organisation, we are committed to exploring how we can use this rapidly evolving area of medicine to benefit patients.� Said Prof JeanMarc Chevalier, president of the IFCO Congress.

Zoe Harrison from Diabetes UK highlights that even though weight-loss surgery brings good results, it can also cause risks and complications.

Batriatic surgery will cause weight-loss; that will result in fewer people suffering from diabetes. It will also mean that less patients will need diabetes medications. It doesn’t mean, however, that the disease has been restored completely. Patients need to remember about a healthy diet and exercising if they want to cure the diabetes.

Science Daily, 1st September 2009

The latest study shows that children of obese mothers who had weight-loss surgery tend to not having weight problems and improved cardio-metabolic markers when compared to children of obese mothers born before the weight-loss procedure.

The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Obesity during pregnancy can still lead to death in industrialized countries, cause insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease and pregnancy complications. Both obesity and its co-morbidities can be transmitted to the children. It means that at birth already a child is destined obese.

John Kral from SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. says the study only confirmed the previous researches that “the intrauterine environment may be more important than genes and the post-natal environment when it comes to the association between maternal obesity and childhood obesity. Any medical or surgical treatment to reduce obesity and existing metabolic disorders before pregnancy can be an investment in the life of future offspring.”

Weight-loss procedures limit the amount of food intake which leads to the fact that less food is digested by the body. In the research women who underwent biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) took part. BPD makes the stomach smaller and directs food to bypass part of the small intestine which leads to fewer calorie intake.

49 mothers who had BPD surgery and their 111 children between 2.5 and 25 years old took part in the study. Some children were born before and some after the mothers’ BPD surgery. Children born after the procedure had reduced birth weight and were three times less likely to be severely obese. What’s more, they also had improved cardiovascular markers with reduced insulin resistance and lower cholesterol.

The study results show that women should be encouraged to lose weight before falling pregnant. While pregnant, they should also watch their calorie intake. Women who are severely obese but still want to become mothers, should consider weight-loss surgery beforehand. “Preventing obesity and treating it effectively in young women could prevent further transmission to future generations,” Kral added.