The Guardian, 15th July 2010

The new research shows how much joining a support group after the weight-loss surgery helps to lose and maintain weight. It is extremely important to remind the post-op patients about their routine: walking, eating fruit and veg, avoiding junk food.

250 women took part in the study. It showed that only four yearly group sessions plus phone reminders, helped them to lose weight after the surgery and maintain it. All women managed to lose 0.2 pounds of weight in average. Women who didn’t take part in the support groups, put on 1.8 pounds.

It seems clear that weight-loss surgery is only a beginning of a long way. In order to be successful, patients should change a life-style, adding plenty of exercise and a healthy diet but also seek some support. The support groups gain popularity and, as the research shows, play an important part in the weigh-loss process.

Another research was carried out to find out what role in this the weight-loss supplements play. The study, presented at the International Congress on Obesity in Stockholm, Sweden, showed that supplements such as: t guar gum, chromium picolinate, Ephedra spp. Citrus aurantium (bitter orange), conjugated linoleic acid, calcium, glucomannan, chitosan, and Camellia sinensis (green tea) didn’t have any effect in the weight-loss.

The advice given by the researches is simple and says to consume plenty of fruit and vegetables, drink water instead of fizzy drinks, avoid fast foods and snacks, exercise every day.

Even though the advice is pretty simple, it is easy to come back to the old habits. Joining a support group will surely help to stay motivated and stick to a healthier life-style

HealthNewsDigest.com, 7th July 2010

Weigh-loss is not easy nor quick. There are numerous factors that weight-loss depends on and that influence its success.

It’s especially difficult to come to the conclusion that one actually needs to lose weight. The very thought might not be that obvious for everyone. Once it’s done, though, everyone should invest in their well-being and make sure they lead a healthy life-style.

Obesity is an epidemic of our times. This means the majority of patients are not capable of dealing with their problem on their own. The very first thing doctors suggest, is to start exercising and change eating habits. Unfortunately, sometimes it is just not enough. After numerous attempts, obese and overweight patients turn to the weight-loss surgeons. The surgery is the only solution in many cases.

Weight-loss surgery is not a magical tool, unfortunately. Patients who undergo it, must realise they’ve got a long way to go, and this new life starts with the surgery.

They need to be motivated and sure of what they want to achieve. It is also very important to be self-confident. Specialists say that “believing in yourself and your right to a better life is the most critical factor in lasting weight loss”.

There are also other, more prosaic factors, such as learning to read nutritional information and food labels, control portions, calculate daily energy expenditure. Each patient should create a personal long-tems weight-loss program in which they state how much they want to lose and how they are going to achieve it.

It is very helpful to join support groups after undergoing a weigh-loss surgery as well as read appropriate literature in order to maintain the interest and motivation at the highest level.

Omaha World-Herald, 30th June 2010

Researches show that patients undergoing weight-loss procedures meet better results if a member of their family has got such an operation in the same time.

The study was announces last Friday by the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery.

It seems quite obvious now that it is more likely to succeed in the exercise routine while having a buddy rather than exercising alone. It turns out that the same mechanism works for people undergoing weight-loss surgery.

The research was carried out by the University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. 91 patients from 41 families had a surgery with a relative. They were then compared to the patients who underwent the surgery alone.

A year after the procedure, the family members lost about 30% more of the excess weight than other patients.

This is how the leader of the study, Dr. Gus J. Slotman explains the phenomenon: “Clearly the family dynamic, even a little sibling rivalry, can play an important role in patient success. Family members are a built-in support system that can help turn a good result into a great result, particularly the first year after surgery, when adjusting to a new lifestyle and dietary requirements can be challenging.â€�

Another research shows that women tend to have fewer complications and shorter hospital stays compared with male patients. Also, still another study carried out by University of Nebraska Medical Center, showed that Latinos and Caucasians have fewer complications than African-Americans, and that younger patients do better than older ones.

Metro, 24th June 2010

Most obese people would rather put on weight even more in order to qualify for the free weight-loss surgery than follow a diet and start a healthy life-style, recent studies show.

About 1200 British women took part in the survey. 32% of them admitted that they would put on weight deliberately to be eligible for the weight-loss surgery. 28% of the women said they were depressed as they couldn’t undergo the surgery.

60% of the women who took part in the survey said they would love to have a cosmetic surgery if it was funded by the government.

Only 6% of women were happy with the way they looked and 14% said they would never consider any form of cosmetic surgery.

On the other hand, 22% of women would ask the NHS for a funded breast lift after breast feeding. 43% of mothers would request NHS surgery for their children if they were bullied because of their looks.

CBS 4, 15th June 2010

Not only adults have got serious problems with their weight. The obesity epidemic affects also children and teenagers.

Weight-loss surgery seems extreme but some doctors think it’s a viable solution for some patients. The first step in the weight-loss battle is obviously healthy diet and exercising but they are not always efficient.

Bertehenine Gonzalez is one of those patients who tried everything to lose weight. As it didn’t work, she had a surgery at the age of 16 and lost 92 pounds since. As an obese girl, Bertehenine had breathing problems, high blood pressure and sleep apnea. She couldn’t do things other teenagers do such as running or riding a bike.

Earvin Verona’s story is similar to Bertehenine’s. He was obese as well and it affected his whole life. His life-style before the surgery was very passive and full of unhealthy food. Earvin also underwent a weight-loss surgery at the age of 16 and lost 120 pounds since. He now plays football and goes to the gym, which was impossible a few months ago.

Apart from not being able to do usual things, the teenagers are also very often ridiculed and bullied because of their weight.

“Fat kids, obese kids get picked on and ostracized. It becomes a negative cycle. They eat more because that’s the only satisfaction they get. They do less. They go out less,” ‘said bariatric surgeon Dr. Jorge Sosa.

Dr. Sosa performed the surgery on patients as young as 15 years old. He says it always should be the last resort but he also thinks this is giving young people another chance.

“You’re essentially taking a child they’re dropping out of school through shame, inability to attend school because of their weight,” says Dr. Sosa “And they’re going to do what sit at home all day long, no schooling, they’re becoming ill, diabetic, pre-diabetic etc. Those are the children that it’s worth giving them the risk of the surgery.”

KDKA, 8th June 2010

The latest study shows that the number of back surgeries has increased in the last few years. Those types of surgeries are very risky and complex. One of the causes of this situation is that patients don’t want to get back to control their lives. They only want instant improvement.

Dr. Don Whiting from the Allegheny General Hospital said: “What we’ll see is people coming in that don’t want to try physical therapy, don’t want to lose weight, don’t want to do exercise programs, but want to have something fixed and get back to their life.”

In order to improve the back condition, patients should lose weight, eat healthily and exercise. All this takes time but brings great results.

Doctors encourage patients to take care of their bodies. A wealthy weight and life-style will keep back pains away.

The Tribune-Democrat, 30th May 2010

Weight-loss surgery changes many people’s lives. They can buy clothes off the rack again, climb stairs, play with their children, lead a normal life.

The statistics are shocking: one in five people are estimated to be morbidly obese. Many of them have found help via weight-loss surgery. As they admit this was something they couldn’t do much about themselves. Having tried other ways, the surgery seemed to be the one that would give the right and long-lasting results.

Many patients try to diet and exercise to lose weight. Those work for some, whereas the others’ weight bounces back. The statistics say there is a 95 failure rate to maintain weight loss for patients with 100 pounds overweight.

Tammy Miller confirms those sad findings. She managed to lose 135 pounds on her own but it came back quickly. She was frustrated and didn’t want to go through the same way again.

Most hospitals accept patients with BMI 0f 40 or 35 and diabetes or other health issues for weight-loss surgery. The surgery is not only a tool to weight loss but also cures or, at least improves, diabetes. Patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes are sent home with no medication after the bariatric surgery. Also other weight-loss procedures cure diabetes within few months due to weight loss.

Apart from weight loss and diabetes also other health conditions such as sleep apnea and high blood pressure.

There is a choice of different weight-loss procedures. This should be chosen accordingly to individual needs. Gastric bypass, gastric banding and sleeve gastrectomy are the major ones. They all differ but they all reduce the amount of the calories absorbed by the body. Patients can expect 80% loss of the excess weigth within the first year after the surgery.

The success of the procedure depends on numerous factors: patient’s determination, diet, life-style, post-op support.

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.