Skip to main content

5 Things You Should Know About Medical Weight Loss

With more than one-third of Americans obese, dieting and weight loss in American culture has become the Holy Grail. As a result, myths surrounding weight loss diets and methods are often misleading and sometimes dangerous. That's not to say that weight-loss methods are generally useless; it's just that you need to know what questions to ask and where to go for effective solutions.



Wow. Me before
Nervous as all hell
1. Am I a Good Candidate for Medical Weight-loss Surgery?
To determine whether you'll be a good candidate for medical weight-loss surgery, you need to know your body mass index and your general health status. A normal BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9. Typically, a person with a BMI higher than 40 is a good candidate for medical weight-loss surgery. Typically, this is between 80 and 100 pounds overweight. If your BMI is lower but you have health problems related to weight, you could also be a viable candidate. If you have type-2 diabetes or high blood pressure due to obesity, medical weight-loss surgery is very effective. If you are curious about whether your health insurance will support your decision for weight-loss surgery, your insurance company can offer you plenty of advice.

2. What Type of Weight-loss Surgery Should I Choose?
There are several medical weight loss surgery types. The two major types include:



  • Restrictive surgeries: Restrictive surgeries shrink the stomach, which then slows down digestion. A restricted stomach can hold 2 - 3 ounces of food while a normal stomach holds around 3 pints. Success: After Weight Loss Surgery 2008 - Charlotte, NC
  • Malabsorptive or restrictive surgeries: These surgeries are much more invasive than the restrictive stomach surgery. This surgery changes how your body treats food. It restricts the stomach size and removes part of your digestive tract. This makes it harder for you to absorb calories. There are more side effects with this surgery type, but the most dangerous, intestinal bypass, is no longer performed. 
  • 3. What Are the Possible Repercussions of Medical Weight-loss Surgery?
    Any surgery comes with the possible risk of complications. The surgery comes with the basic possible repercussions such as risks associated with anesthesia, blood clots, and infection. The good news is that medical weight-loss surgeries are comparatively safe. Complications typically have to do with leaks from stakes or the erosion of the band, or complications related to malnutrition. Finally, if you were severely obese, you'll have loose skin that could fold and develop infection or irritation. Make sure to work with your doctor on ways to deal with this situation.
    Photo 5 of 25_1.jpg

    4. What Do I Need to Do After Surgery?
    You may have to stay in the hospital for up to 5 days, so make sure that you get enough time off from work. Your stay could be shorter, but you don't want to have any time restrictions in case there are complications. Your surgery won't be a free ticket to eating junk food without repercussion for the rest of your life either. You will slowly transition to solid foods for four months after your surgery. Sometimes getting back to a completely solid food diet will take as long as a year. Once you're back on track, you'll want to make sure that you're eating the most vitamin and mineral rich foods out there, as you need to make every calorie count. It's also important to keep your fitness activity high, as the surgery works best when it's in tandem with a solid workout routine.

    Rainbow - 2013-055
    5. Who Should Perform My Weight-Loss Surgery?
    Bariatric surgeons, gastroentrerologic surgeons, and general surgeons are able to do medical weight-loss surgery, but you should educate yourself on your doctor's background. Your doctor should have a documented training in laparoscopy and specifically in medical weight-loss surgery. If you're smart, you'll make sure your doctor is a part of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Members of ASMBS take part in ongoing education which keeps them abreast of the newest technology in the field, and it also provides its members with channels for collaboration. Once you find a member of ASMBS, make sure that your surgeon has performed at least 100 of the specific types of surgery that you need. Many studies show that complication likelihood goes down after a doctor has done 100-plus procedures. Finally, you'll want to choose a provider who also offers a comprehensive treatment program which includes ongoing diet and exercise support therapy.

    Whether you are unable to lose weight or you're experiencing health issues due to obesity, you may consider medical weight-loss surgery as a possible solution. But look before you leap. You don't want to make decisions without doing your research.

    Amy Nielson is a blogger who writes articles for Briggs & Butler, a medical insurance provider that can offer policies for families. You can follow her on Twitter @NielsonAmy.
  • Comments

    1. Replacing carbohydrates in your diet with monounsaturated fats will help you slim down by shuttling fat away from your midsection.

      ReplyDelete
    2. Expert2:35 PM

      Beware of mindless snacking!

      ReplyDelete

    Post a Comment

    Comments posted on this blog are moderated and approved only if they are relevant, on-topic and not abusive. Avoid using links to your site/blog in the body of your comment unless it is highly relevant to the post.

    Popular posts from this blog

    Home remedies for sore throat

    Sore throat is a common malady that each one of us faces sometime or the other in our lifetime.  That scratchy, dry and abrasively painful feeling at the back of the throat that you experience is so very discomforting! There are many ways to relieve that scratchy and painful, infected throat. Sore throat home remedies are many and varied and range from the folk ones to the medically tested and proven ones.  With this common recurring condition many sufferers have their own favourite sore throat treatments that seem to work for them. Sore throat is one of the ailments which responds very well to home based remedies, so there is no reason why one should hesitate to try out these invaluable tips which have been handed over to us by generations of yore.  After all these remedies have negligible side-effects and so there is no harm in trying them. And you can always rush to a doctor if they don’t work for you. 

    Kapalabhati Pranayam for wrinkle-free, radiant complexion

    Did you know that Kapalabhati Pranayam / kriya can also be used to enhance your beauty and ward off skin aging? Done the right way,  Kapalabhati Pranayam can be used as a beauty aid - it can give you a wrinkle-free, luminous forehead and radiant complexion. Kapalabhati For Beauty   ‘Kapalabhati’ Pranayam breathing exercise is an excellent way of maintaining good health and fighting diseases. ‘Kapala’ means ‘skull’ (and ‘forehead’ also) and ‘bhati’ means ‘shining’. By doing kapalabhati, the ‘nadis’(nerves) of the brain get good exercise. This is achieved by exercising the diaphragm. There will be a glow on the forehead. After the age of 25, the tell-tale signs of ageing start making their appearance in the form of fine lines on the forehead. A regular practice of Kapalabhati for 10-15 minutes everyday will give you a tight forehead sans wrinkles for many years to come. Avoid Botox, try Kapalabhati Why resort to Botox   and other expensive chemical or surgica...

    Pore shrinking mask recipes from home

    A face with large open pores when seen from close quarters doesn’t look so good. While it’s quite common for oily skins to have a tendency towards open pores, an attack of pimples also leaves ugly scars and open pores behind.  Even though the scars may fade away after some time, open pores appear to be more obstinate and hardly show any signs of shrinking.  Age also takes its toll by giving an uneven/pigmented tone to the skin and making the open pores more prominent. Heredity could also be a contributing factor in determining your pore size. It’s not easy to get rid of these pores or shrink them completely or permanently using serums, lotions or face packs. Even resorting to drastic chemical/surgical procedures at the dermatologist’s isn’t quite capable of giving satisfactory results.  Nevertheless, you can try and minimize their appearance at least temporarily with clever makeup and a few natural skin care masks such as these: * Cleanse your face with a mild ...

    Teeth whitening remedies

    Teeth could be naturally dark or could be discolored by repeated exposure to beverages like tea, coffee or red wine, smoking and also medications apart from decay and trauma to the tooth. If you want your captivating smile to be adorned by a row of glistening pearly white teeth, then try these treatments and remedies: ‘In chair’ bleaching at the dentist for teeth whitening Though there are several options available for teeth whitening, bleaching at a cosmetic dentistry clinic can significantly lighten your teeth within an hour. A large percentage of the people who have undergone bleaching have experienced a positive change in the color of their teeth. Read about it at About Cosmetic dentisty . ‘At home’ teeth whitening bleaching kit The ‘at home’ teeth whitening technique is also a popular bleaching procedure to whiten your teeth. You can obtain the bleaching kit from your dentist or make an over-the counter purchase. Use it conveniently at night and the gel should work while you sleep...

    11 things you can do with olive oil

    Besides lemon , milk , sugar , aloe , turmeric , sandalwood and honey , olive oil is another household item that has multifarious uses as a beauty aid. It is a mild, non-irritant, antibacterial oil that is rich in antioxidants; hence is ideal for the skin. Here are a few things that you could do with olive oil .