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You’re significantly overweight. You also suffer from Type 2 Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis and cancer, which are associated with your obesity. Your weight is a health risk but neither diet nor exercise has helped you shed pounds. Bariatric and metabolic surgery will.
Bariatric and metabolic surgery changes your digestive system to help you lose weight by limiting how much you can and want to eat, and reducing your body’s ability to absorb nutrients. It’s the most effective tool available to help you lose weight.
If you are extremely obese, with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher, or if you have a BMI of 35 and at least one weight-related health problem, then you likely qualify for bariatric metabolic surgery. Individuals with diabetes and BMIs of just 30 have also benefitted from surgery.
Diet and exercise aren’t enough
Burning more calories than you consume should lead to weight loss, unless you, like one in three Americans, is obese, with a BMI greater than 30. Although food is a factor, genes and the environment play important roles in being very overweight.
The central nervous system and appetite hormones typically maintain the body’s weight by balancing caloric intake with expenditure. Obesity disrupts this process. So does severe dieting, which triggers the release of hormones that stimulate your appetite, while inhibiting those that suppress it.
Understanding these factors is important in recognizing obesity as a serious health problem and not a moral failing, said Wayne Weiss, MD, Phelps Hospital’s Medical Director of Bariatric and Metabolic surgery. “There’s often a hesitation to approach morbid obesity surgically because it has a stigma of weakness or laziness,” Dr. Weiss said. “But no one would think twice about having surgery to resolve a hard medical problem like diabetes or coronary artery disease. Bariatric and metabolic surgery is a real game changer.”
How bariatric surgery works
The two most common bariatric and metabolic surgery procedures are the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and the sleeve gastrectomy. Each procedure reduces the stomach’s size, which may also help to decrease its secretion of appetite-stimulating hormones.
Although bariatric surgery may help you eat less, it is no substitute for good nutrition and regular exercise, which are the best ways to ensure its long-term success. “It is just one part of a comprehensive lifestyle change,” said Dr. Weiss.
Schedule a consultation today
To learn more about bariatric and metabolic surgery, schedule a consultation with one of our nationally recognized bariatric and metabolic surgeons. Our surgical teams have performed thousands of procedures, almost exclusively using minimally invasive (laparoscopic) techniques, most recently with robotic surgery. Our bariatric services also include comprehensive patient support to help you follow the healthy lifestyle you’ll need to keep weight off.
For more information call 914-506-5576 or learn more on our website.
