(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Bariatric surgery is one of the most effective interventions in the fight against ongoing obesity. In fact, a recent PubMed study documents 14 years of significantly lower mortality rates for patients who opted to undergo weight-loss surgery than those who did not. If you have attempted diet and exercise without achieving permanent weight loss, read on to discover whether this procedure from Blossom Bariatrics is right for you.
Determining who should consider bariatric surgery
While over 70 percent of Americans are overweight, weight-loss surgery is for those who are either obese or morbidly obese. Morbid obesity is a serious health condition interfering with basic physical functions such as walking and breathing. It increases your risk of developing severe conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and joint pain.
Obesity is determined by your body mass index (BMI). People with a BMI over 25 are overweight, but people with a BMI over 30 are obese. Addressing obesity can be critical to your long-term health.
Serious health problems linked to obesity
You may be wondering just how serious ongoing obesity truly is. After all, a study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health predicts half the adults living in the US will be obese, and a quarter will be severely obese by 2030. While obesity is becoming more and more normal, that doesn’t make it healthy.
If you carry excess weight but consider yourself generally healthy, you may be unaware of serious health risks ahead. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), obesity is at the root of these severe health problems:
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High blood pressure
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High LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol
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Type 2 diabetes
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Coronary heart disease
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Stroke
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Gallbladder disease
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Osteoarthritis (joint pain)
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Sleep apnea and breathing problems
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Many types of cancer
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Clinical depression and anxiety
The benefit of addressing obesity early
Weight on your belly, hips, and waist is frustrating, but the fat you can’t see is even more alarming. As fat accumulates inside the walls of your arteries and around your heart, it accelerates the development of hypertension, type2 diabetes, and sleep apnea. Once these conditions arise, you’re racing against the clock. If you don’t lose weight quickly, the extra pounds cause irreversible damage to your body.
At Blossom Bariatrics, we prefer to address obesity before major issues arise. Many health problems resolve after weight loss surgery if they are caught early. This is the primary reason we encourage our clients to consider the procedure as soon as possible.
Important considerations before weight-loss surgery
Bariatric surgery can be more effective for long-term weight loss than diet, exercise or medication alone, but it is a tool, not a magic bullet. Before undergoing weight-loss surgery, it is critical to consider the lifestyle changes that will enable you to lose weight and keep it off permanently.
Because the procedure alters the size of your stomach, it limits the amount of food you can consume. After bariatric surgery, you will need to follow new dietary recommendations and take a multivitamin daily.
For weight-loss surgery to be most effective, you will also need to commit to regular exercise. With rapid weight loss, you can lose muscle mass. Frequent physical activity is crucial to maintaining your lean muscle and high metabolism.
If you have been unable to succeed in your struggle with obesity through diet and exercise alone, don’t hesitate to contact Blossom Bariatrics for help. With a firm commitment to lifestyle changes, this procedure will enable you to achieve a complete health makeover for your mind and body.