EmpowHer, 26th May 2010

Donna was diagnosed with menopause in the summer last year. At this challenging period of her life, she put on weight but explained herself it was a common problem of many women.

It started bothering her when heath issues started. She was diagnosed with sleep apnea and high cholesterol. She also experienced breath shortness, joint pain and some other obesity-related complications.

When Donna relised how the quality of her life changed, she decided something had to be done about it. She had a meeting with a weight-loss surgery doctor in January, and she felt relieved that there was so much she could do about her health and body.

As Donna was determined to react quickly, she had all necessary tests – such as upper GI, an EGD, an ultrasound, blood work, and an EKG – done within a week.

When the day of the surgery came, she was happy but also scared. The next day she felt great but the day after was completely different. Her body was sore, swollen and tight from the surgery. She was then given steroids to help the swelling. Donna started feeling much better on the next day, and the day after she was ready to go home.

That was the next part of the challenge. Patients after the weight-loss surgery have to record everything they consume, including water and vitamins. They have to measure the portions of the food and stick to them.

Despite all the pain and other inconveniences, Donna managed to lose 28 pounds only after seven weeks aftre the procedure. In overall she lost 45 pounds. Her aim is to get her BMI to 25.

Donna is very happy to get her life back, to change her lifestyle and to be able to climb the starirs without being breathless.

Los Angeles Times, 15th May 2010

As many as 17% of American children are considered obese. Prevention is obviously the best thing to do; unfortunately it is not always possible.

British journal published an article saying that, even though the rising obesity among children start to stabilise, we still do not know what works best to prevent or reverse obesity. One of the research done in 2006 states the amount of the calory intake for children. Nowadays, however, those data seem to be too conservative. Dr. Joan C. Han, from the National Institutes of Health, says new and better study has to take place in order to know how much kids’ energy needs to be burn.

Weight-loss surgery for the children is an option but, as its safety and effectiveness is not known yet, more study has to be done.

In the recent study published in the Journal of Obesity Surgery, where family physicians and pediatricians took part, some of them responded that they would recommend obese children or teenagers to a specialist for a weight-loss surgery.

Researches continue to be carried out. A group of four hospitals led by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center has been studying the circumstances under which bariatric surgery works best for children. They found, amongst others, that that bariatric surgery significantly improved abnormalities in heart function.

Private Healthcare UK, 12th May 2010

Women who are overweight risk serious complications when they get pregnant. Weight-loss surgery is a procedure that could lower the risks, including high blood pressure and diabetes.

Researches show that women who lost weight before geting pregnant have less complication during this time and after giving birth.

585 women took part in the recent study in the United States. Most of them had gastric bypass surgery. The outcomes show 80% reduction in the risk of preeclampsia and eclampsia among women who had surgery before pregnancy as well as 74% reduction in the risk of gestational hypertension and a 61% reduction in the risk of chronic hypertension in pregnancy. All these are causes of pregnancy complications.

“We have long known,” said Wendy L. Bennett, one of the research doctors, “that women who have these blood pressure disorders are not only at an increased risk for pregnancy complications in themselves and their babies, but also for chronic diseases in the future. Can we prevent the development of these disorders in pregnancy with bariatric surgery? These findings suggest the answer is ‘yes.â€�

Doctors highlight that weight-loss surgery is not a quick remedy to obesity problems but it is a tool that can give long-lasting results.

TVNZ, 5th May 2010

15-year old Sherri Atkin weighted over 190 kg in August last year. In preparation for the gastric band surgery, she lost 30 kg since then.

Sherri would love to start living normal life, without being bullied, not to mention health problems such as heart palpitations and breathing difficulties.

Her life will change dramatically after the surgery. It will control her apetite. The surgeon will put on her stomach through tiny incisions. The surgery will only take about 30 minutes.

“The way I put it to my patients is I am switching off your food addiction so that you can now eat the diet your body needs for rest of your life,” says Dr Schroeder who will be operating Sherri.

The weight-loss surgery is only the beginning of a new life for Sherri. She will need to change her life-style completely, control her eating habits and start physical activities. That’s the only way to lose weight and maintain it.