Weight_Loss_Surgery,_Not_an_Easy_Way_Out

Weight loss surgery, not an easy way out The society we live in is obsessed with youth and thinness. For millions of overweight people in the United States who are riding nonstop on the rollercoaster of weight loss and weight gain, there comes a day when having weight loss surgery becomes a decision they are faced with. There are many prejudices associated with weight loss surgery, many of the “beautiful” people look at this procedure as a cop-out, a quick fix, fat people are just too lazy to exercise and too weak to put the fork down. In other words surgery is taking the “easy way out”. Nothing could be further from the truth, for most individuals who are diagnosed as morbidly obese also called "clinically severe obesity" which is defined as being 100 lbs. or more over ideal body weight or having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or higher (Surgical Weight Loss Center), weight loss surgery is their only hope, their last resort. Morbidly obese people have been made to feel that their inability to lose weight and keep it off is their fault, and being overweight is strictly due to bad eating habits and lack of will power. This attitude leads to many of the social prejudices against obese people and contributes to the poor self-image many obese people have. It is important for obese people and society in general to recognize that morbid obesity is not a failure of will power---it is a disease based on physiological factors beyond the person’s control (Rationale for surgery). For the majority of morbidly obese individuals, weight loss surgery is the only proven method of achieving long-term weight loss. The decision to proceed with this type of surgery is a very difficult thing to do. All surgeries have their risks and benefits’ including death, weight loss surgery is no exception and post op recovering is no walk in the park. With gastric bypass surgery, a person can lose 50 to 90 percent of their unhealthy extra weight in about one year (Kline). There are three different types of gastric bypass surgery: Laparoscopic, Roux-en-Y and silicone band. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages. Although there are various weight loss surgery offered today, the basic concept is to restrict intake and absorption. During these procedures the stomach is actually made smaller to decrease the amount of food that can be ingested. Malabsorptive techniques limit the contact ingested food has with the intestines and reduces the amount of food that is absorbed into the body (Kline). Along with the psychological impact of obesity, there are also significant medical health issues. Some co-morbidities associated with morbid obesity are, hypertension, hypertrophy, cardiomyopathy, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, cholelithiasis, obstructive sleep apnea, hypoventilation, degenerative arthritis, benign brain swelling, cancer of the uterus, breast and ovaries in women, cancer of the prostate in men, cancer of the colon, and an increase of sudden death risk from unknown causes as well as the psychosocial impairments(Kline). It has been noted that after a gastric bypass has been performed; many, if not all of these co-morbidities are resolved. This allows the individual to reclaim their mobility and eventually their life. Recovery can be very painful. In addition to the pain from the wound itself, patients may experience nausea or severe gastric distress. Individuals with sleep apnea may become sleep-deprived, when they must discontinue use of their Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines to avoid disturbing the staples that create the new stomach pouch (Rationale for surgery). Recuperation can take a long time, and patient could be absent from work for a prolonged period of. In some cases, patients may not be able to return to work for up to 10 – 12 weeks (Obesity Help). Postop recovery is forever, what most people do not know or consider is that just because an individual has had this surgery does not mean they are off the hook with diet and exercise. It is hard work and a major time commitment. For the best possible results, individuals must do daily aerobic exercise for up to an hour. For individuals not familiar to vigorous exercise, this can be very difficult. It's also a real challenge for patients to learn all they must about nutrition so they can assure that their food and vitamins are sustaining their body. It takes particular courage to consciously limit food choices for the rest of your life and potentially limit social opportunities built around meals. For many patients, life after weight loss surgery means treating food as a fuel, not as a source of drama, excitement, comfort or a central life focus. While some procedures may be reversible, for most patients’ weight loss surgery is a lifetime commitment, requiring major lifestyle changes (Weight Loss Surgery Info). What are the statistics' Research shows that maximum weight loss usually reaches about 70 percent of the excess weight after gastric bypass surgery, and 51 percent of the excess weight after adjustable gastric band surgery two years postoperative. However, the weight loss from both types of surgeries is equal after three to five years. There is also a tendency to regain some weight with gastric bypass, with the average excess weight lost remaining stable at 50 percent to 55 percent from five years to as long as 16 years after surgery. (Obesity Help) The upshot of weight loss surgery should not be measured by pounds, inches lost or improvements in medical conditions alone. After a substantial amount of the excess weight is lost and a person’s health improves, the improvement in quality of life is an equally important outcome. A person may find they able to do things you haven't done in years. They may also find that they are better able to live your life in the way you want to. In studies that have sought to rate a patient's quality of life before and after weight loss surgery, obesity has been shown to significantly lower a patient's rating of his or her quality of life. The primary objective of weight loss surgery is to reduce the numerous consequences that may result from being very overweight, by improving a patient's health status, activity level, engagement in life and work productivity. Dieting doesn’t work for everybody, what’s more important, diets don't teach us the safest, most effective ways to exercise; they don't teach us how to deal with our cravings and our desires, or how to attend to our feelings of hunger and fullness. Eventually, we become tired of the complexity, the hunger, the lack of flavor, the lack of flexibility, the lack of energy, and the feeling of deprivation. We quit our diets and gain back the weight we've lost; sometimes we gain even more! A person who has had weight loss surgery must relearn all of these things nutrition, portion control, exercise and continue these practices as if it were a religion for the rest of their life. Finally, the diet business is collecting millions of dollars even though we know that diets in general don't work long term. Even with the abundance of diets, weight loss drugs, and miracle exercise products Americans continue to gain weight. Most obese people have tried each of these weight loss methods without success. What is the person to do who is obese, with numerous co morbidities, and miserable to do' Many people, male and female, have made the conscious decision to take control of their life; they have decided to stop the yo-yo dieting and chosen to have weight loss surgery, the only way out of obesity and shame. Works Cited 1. Kline, D.O., Glenn A. Personal Interview. 10 October 2003.  2. “Rationale for surgery” American Society for Bariatric Surgery. 10 November 2003. . 3. “What causes morbid obesity” The Facts About Morbid Obesity. February, 2003. 4. Obesity Help, http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/amos/ 5. Surgical Weight Loss Center, Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center http://www.heartoflancaster.com/weightloss.cfm 6. Weight Loss Surgery Info, http://www.weightlosssurgeryinfo.com/dtcf/