Surgery for weight loss

Are you a candidate for weight loss surgery?

Let us be honest. If you are reading this, you either believe that you are obese, or you know (or your doctor told you) that you are obese. Weight loss surgery sure sounds like an easy way out, as it's quick and easy, while diets and exercises are long and demanding, right? Well now, know that weight loss surgery is recommended only to people with severe obesity, those who have body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more, which is 100 pounds extra for men and 80 pounds extra for women.

Also, people with BMI between 35 and 40 who have an obesity-related problem such as sleep apnea, obesity-related heart condition or diabetes are regarded as candidates for the surgery. So, regard yourself as a candidate only if your doctor determined that you are in a risk group, and opt for less radical, regular methods, such as diets and exercise in all other cases (yeah, life sucks).

Procedure

Weight loss was first observed in the patients who, for some reason unrelated to obesity problems, had part of their stomach or small intestine removed. Surgeons then came to an idea that this could be done for the purpose of weight loss alone. After some decades trial and error, modern weight loss surgery includes reduction of the stomach volume by closing or removing a portion of it, removing a part of the small intestine, or both.

Explanation

If your stomach volume is reduced, it will be able to hold less food and you will feel full after eating less. This basically prevents overeating. As you have no other option but to eat less (without feeling hungry, unlike in the diets), you will loose weight. If a part of your small intestine is removed, you will be absorbing less nutrients, as the small intestine is the primary place of food digestion and absorption.

There is a rapid weight loss after the surgery. Some of the excess weight comes back eventually, but never to the previous levels. Most diabetes sufferers also experience drastic improvement in their condition.

Downsides

Downside of this is that you may be getting too little of some important ingredients of food, such as minerals and vitamins, and you are going to use supplements for as long as you live. You are also heading towards a life-long alteration of diet and serious changes in lifestyle. There are also known side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dumping syndrome and development of gallstones.