Anyone having a BMI (Body Mass Index) that is higher than 40 or is 100lbs or more over the ideal body weight is diagnosed with "clinically severe obesity". This condition is a chronic condition that leads to several other serious health risks. And it cannot be treated as with conventional weight loss methods.
Causes
It would be too simplistic to conclude that it is a result of overeating. There are several complex factors responsible for clinically severe obesity. Such as genetic, hereditary, environmental, metabolic or eating disorders. Intake of steroids and hypothyroidism could also contribute to this condition.
Once the person reaches a morbid obesity level, physical activity becomes more difficult, which again causes the pounds to pile on. Resulting in a vicious cycle, where the person's condition just keeps worsening.
Related Health Hazards
Obesity brings with a whole host of related health risks that result in shorter life expectancy. Apart from these commonly known obesity related health conditions, there could be other risks that are yet to be discovered:
Type 2 Diabetes
High blood pressure/Heart disease
Dyslipidemia /High Cholesterol
Osteoarthritis of weight-bearing joints
Depression
Sleep apnea/Respiratory problems
Gastroesophageal reflux/Heartburn
Infertility
Urinary stress incontinence
Menstrual irregularities
Surgical Treatment
Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery is not a cosmetic surgery. It is recommended when repeated attempts at weight loss with traditional methods have failed. Now this does not mean that surgery removes the need for exercise and dietary restrictions. A strong commitment to long-term follow-up care after the surgery is absolutely essential. Adherence to extensive dietary, exercise and medical guidelines is the key to lasting weight maintenance.
Types of procedures
It's important to understand how weight loss surgery reduces weight in order to choose the right procedure.
Basically, it is a gastrointestinal surgery with two fundamental approaches:
Restrictive procedures that decrease food intake. Here, your stomach's capacity is reduced, thereby allowing a feeling of fullness even with smaller food / calorie intake. The surgeon creates a smaller upper stomach pouch that connects to the rest of the stomach through an outlet known as "stoma". The reduced stomach capacity, along with behavioral changes, can result in consistently lower caloric intake and consistent weight loss.
Malabsorptive procedures alter the digestive pattern, causing poor calorie absorption. This procedure prevents the portion of the intestine that is primarily responsible for calorie absorption from coming into contact with the food intake. The food is diverted only to the intestinal portions that solely absorb vital nutrients.
A combination of these two procedures is usually employed to get maximum results.
Effectiveness of surgery
Several factors play in determining the actual weight a patient will lose after the surgery, such as:
Patient's age
Weight before surgery
Overall condition of patient's health
Surgical procedure
Ability to exercise
Commitment to maintaining dietary guidelines and other follow-up care
Motivation of patient and co-operation of their family, friends and associates
Clinical studies show that after surgery patients may lose 30 to 50% of their excess weight in the first six months and 77% of excess weight as early as 12 months after surgery. Research also shows that patients can maintain a 50-60% loss of excess weight 10-14 years after weight loss surgery. The overall quality of life is improved with the obesity-related health conditions being controlled and the patient exhibiting an enhanced mental disposition.
Post Surgery Care
The altered gastrointestinal tract will require some lifestyle changes too. Apart from regular physical activity, one needs to adapt healthy eating habits too for lasting weight loss. It is important to commit to following some of these generally accepted dietary guidelines:
Chew your food thoroughly.
Avoid steaks and other chunky meat if they are not ground thoroughly.
Avoid fluids while eating.
Omit desserts, carbonated drinks and high-calorie nutritional supplements and foods with high fibre content.
Avoid alcohol.
Limit snacking between meals.
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