Bariatric Surgery

WHAT IS OBESITY?

Obesity, or being overweight has grown to epidemic proportions globally, with over 4 million people dying each year as a result of being obese.

It is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to an extent that it may have a negative effect on health.

Simply put, the term obese describes a person who has a lot of body fat, or is extremely overweight.

A useful indication of whether someone is of a healthy weight is to use the body-mass index (BMI). However, it is not used to diagnose obesity as people who are very muscular, without much fat, can also have a high BMI reading.

Thus, medical professionals today, often use waist size together with a moderately high (BMI of 25 to 29.9) or high BMI (30 to 34.9) to measure obesity.

A better measure of excess fat is waist size, which can be used as an additional measure in people who are overweight (with a BMI of 25 to 29.9) or moderately obese (with a BMI of 30 to 34.9). Generally, a waist size of 94 cm or more for men, and 80cm or more for women, indicates a likelihood of obesity-related health problems in individuals.

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF OBESITY?

Generally, obesity is caused when an individual consumes more calories, typically in fatty or sugary foods, than he or she burns off. This is because these excess calories are stored by the body as fat.

The modern lifestyle habit of being inactive – such as sitting at a desk, on sofas and in cars – and eating large amounts of cheap high-calorie food is the most common reason why obesity is on the rise.

For a small proportion of the population, genetics and medications as well as underlying health conditions, such as an underactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) can contribute to weight gain. The latter, if diagnosed correctly, does not cause weight issues, as it can be managed effectively with the proper medical care.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY?

It is important to take steps to manage obesity, because it may lead to a number of serious and potentially life-threatening conditions. These include:

• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Some types of cancer, such as breast cancer and bowel cancer
• Stroke

Additionally, being overweight can affect your quality of life and lead to psychological problems, such as depression and low self-esteem.

WHAT IS BARIATRIC SURGERY?

Bariatric surgery, which takes several general forms, is a life changing operation that is used to help people to lose weight and improve their health.

This effective procedure reduces the size of your stomach, in order to change the amount you can eat at any one time and assists in weight loss over a period of time.

There are several forms of bariatric surgery including:

• laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy
• laparoscopic gastric banding
• laparoscopic bypass
• laparoscopic revisional bariatric surgery

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The various forms of bariatric surgery are done laparoscopically (also known as keyhole surgery) and involve making the stomach smaller. After surgery, food will follow the normal route into the smaller stomach and then into the small intestine.

These procedures also alter some of the hormone signals from the stomach and intestine to parts of the brain that control body weight, often resulting in a reduced need to eat as well as feeling fuller sooner and for longer after a meal.

Recovery from keyhole surgeries are faster, therefore you can be up and about very soon after surgery.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BARIATRIC SURGERY?

Most patients lose around 50 per cent of their excess weight in the first six months following surgery.

Through this weight loss, patients significantly lower their risk of developing medical problems associated with obesity including:

• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Arthritis
• Breathing issues
• Asthma