Weight-Loss Options
Millions of Americans turn to
diet, fitness, and medication
first to
treat their obesity. Unfortunately, studies indicate that people will not achieve
significant long-term weight loss
through dietary and behavior modification regimens alone.1 Those who are seriously overweight have an even greater challenge when it comes to sustaining weight loss and improving their health conditions.
Surgery may remain the best option
for these individuals when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off.
Non-Surgical Treatments
The most common weight-loss approach is to
eat less, eat sensibly, and exercise more. However, studies have shown that patients on diets, exercise programs, or
weight-loss medication
lose approximately 10 percent of their body weight but tend to regain two-thirds of it within one year, and almost all of it within five years.2 The cycle of losing weight and gaining it back is called the “yo-yo effect.” While temporary weight loss can help, the yo-yo effect can also make it harder to lose weight in the future.
The National Institutes of Health report that 90 percent of the people who participate in diets and
weight-reduction programs
do not experience significant and sustained
weight loss. For seriously overweight individuals, weight-loss surgery should be strongly considered when other therapies have failed, as a way to lose weight, improve their health and increase their quality of life.
Weight-Loss Surgery
If non-surgical methods have not helped you
lose weight long-term
, you still have another option. Studies demonstrate that weight-loss surgery, as compared to non-surgical treatments, yields the longest period of sustained weight loss in patients who have failed other therapies.1 But keep in mind that a
positive attitude,
self-discipline, and the ability to
plan ahead
are key to the
success of the surgery. Surgery can help you achieve your long-term goal only if you are ready to make a commitment to losing weight and keeping it off.
There are several categories of
weight-loss (bariatric) surgery:
Restrictive—reduces the amount of food the
stomach
can hold but doesn’t interfere with normal digestion of food and nutrients.
Malabsorptive—shortens the
digestive tract
to limit the number of calories and nutrients that can be absorbed.
Combination—restricts the amount of food the stomach can hold and reduces the number of
calories absorbed
by altering the digestive tract.
The two most commonly performed
weight-loss procedures
in the United States are the
gastric bypass (combination procedure)
and the LAP-BAND® System (restrictive procedure). Click here for a side-by-side comparison of these surgeries.
1. American Society for
Bariatric Surgery, Rationale for the surgical treatment of
morbid obesity. American Society for Bariatric Surgery Web site. April 8, 1998. Available at: http://www.asbs.org/html/patients/rationale.html. Accessed April 2006.
2. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) / American College of Endocrinology (ACE) Statement on the Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Obesity (1998 Revision). AACE/ACE Obesity Task Force. Endocr Pract. 1998;4:297-330.
Disclaimer:
As with any surgery, there are specific risks and possible complications associated with the LAP-BAND® System surgery. Talk to your doctor to determine if you are a candidate for the LAP-BAND® System.
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To receive more information on the LAP-Band® System or other weight-loss options offered by Tri-City Reigional Medical Center Bariatric Program please call
1-877-4OBESITY.
Weight-Loss Options • Comparison of Surgical Options • Obesity Defined |
