According to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric surgery about 196,000 bariatric surgeries are performed every year. That is hardly a surprising figure when you consider that more than one-third of the US population is obese.
Today, more is known about the health-risks for people of weight:
- Stroke
- Sleep apnea
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Infertility
- Osteoarthritis
- Certain types of cancer
Apart from the obvious changes in physical appearance after bariatric surgery, patients can expect dramatic change in comorbid conditions:
- Improvement or complete resolution of diabetes in 90% of patients
- Reduction in cholesterol levels in 60% of patients
- Decreased blood pressure in 50% of patients
- Improvement or resolution of sleep apnea in 85% of patients
- Almost complete resolution of stress urinary incontinence
- Significant improvement in depression and improved quality of life
Scientific advancements have made bariatric surgical procedures very safe reducing the risk of mortality to almost zero (approximately 0.1%). Looking at the many benefits, more people are opting for weight-loss surgery and are leading longer, healthier lives as a result.
What about diet and exercise?
There is a big difference between preventing obesity and treating it. While adopting a healthy lifestyle will help prevent obesity, several research studies have demonstrated that bariatric surgery provides a more durable weight loss solution than diet and exercise combined. Before and after bariatric surgery, you will receive expert guidance on the scientific approach to weight loss, so you will be able to maintain and improve on the weight loss achieved during surgery.
If you are a person of weight and have tried other weight-loss options without satisfactory results, perhaps now is a good time to explore the possibility of bariatric surgery.
