Being overweight can certainly cause many different health issues. If you are severrely overweight and nothing else has worked for you, you may even be considering Weight Loss Surgery. This is a very real option that more people are turning to. Weight Loss Surgery has come a long way in the last decade. The most common procedure used today is the Gastric Band. Bariatric surgery is usually limited to people who have a body mass index level of over 40. In certain cases, a BMI of 35 is considered. If there are sicknesses that are present such as high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea and others that are possibly brought on by obesity, the lower BMI can be treated with Gastric Band surgery.
The FDA did approve the Gastric Band surgery for those with a BMI as low as 30 but only if all other alternatives have been attempted and failed. Other methods include change of diet and exercise. The attempts have to take place over a period of time. It is not feasible to diet for just a week or exercise a couple of times and expect immediate improvement.
The Gastric Band works by placing a band around the upper part of the stomach. Once placed and inflated, this creates a smaller stomach area that causes you to eat less while becoming full more quickly. However, just a smaller stomach is not enough. This surgery needs to be coupled with healthier eating choices. A healthier diet will ensure that your body continues to receive the nourishment that it needs while filling your body with healthy things.
The surgery is often completed through laproscopic methods. This means that the hospital stay is much shorter. This also means that there are less scars and many people have reported that there is not much pain associated with the recovery. This method is not ideal for certain patients such as those who have had surgery in the same bodily area previously and those that are morbidly obese. Your doctor will talk to you about your specific case and make the proper recommendations. Each case can differ greatly based on many variables.
