Diet and Weight Loss Weight Loss Surgery

Weight-Loss Surgery and Quality of Life

If you or someone you love is severely overweight, weight-loss surgery may be an option for a longer, healthier life.

People with substantial weight problems may have trouble getting around. Simple household tasks can be difficult. Stairs are a problem, as is walking any distance. Some aspects of personal hygiene can be difficult to maintain. Even tying your shoes or crossing your legs may not be possible. These types of personal limitations can greatly reduce your quality of life.

Faced with diminished physical ability, many severely overweight people may become convinced that things will only get worse. They may lose hope that a healthier future is possible. However, they should not despair.

Ample research-based evidence has shown that weight-loss surgery, as part of a life-long weight management program, can dramatically reverse many weight-related health problems and can greatly improve your quality of life. Even if you have or are developing such weight-related diseases as diabetes, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure, you still have effective treatment options to consider. The sooner you act, the better off you will be. In fact, you may actually prevent new health problems from developing.

Who Is a Candidate?
Your doctor is your best resource for finding out more about whether weight-loss surgery is right for you. Usually, the history of a patient's health and objective measures of weight are used to determine whether surgery is an option.

In general, candidates for weight-loss surgery meet all of the following criteria:

• A body mass index (BMI) of more than 40, or roughly 100 pounds (lb) or more, is considered seriously overweight for men; a BMI of more than 35, or 80 lb or more is considered seriously overweight for women, plus a history of associated medical disorders, such as diabetes, cardiopulmonary disease and obesity-induced musculoskeletal problems
• Aged at least 18 years, though some younger people may also be candidates
• A history of unsuccessful attempts at nonsurgical weight-loss treatments

A person who undergoes weight-loss surgery needs to make a lifelong commitment to a new lifestyle, including a new nutrition and exercise regimen, otherwise weight-loss surgery will probably not be effective.

Better Quality of Life
Research shows that maximum weight loss usually reaches about 70 percent of the excess weight after gastric bypass surgery, and 51 percent of the excess weight after adjustable gastric band surgery two years postoperative. However, the weight loss from both types of surgeries is equal after three to five years. There is also a tendency to regain some weight with gastric bypass, with the average excess weight lost remaining stable at 50 percent to 55 percent from five years to as long as 16 years after surgery.

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