Lap Band surgery may seem like the perfect solution to obesity for those who are struggling to lose weight. After all, a simple, non-invasive surgery could make you feel full with just a few bites of your meal, thus helping you to lose weight. Who wouldn’t like that idea? Before you sign up for the surgery, however, you need to know that not everyone who wants the LapBand system is qualified to receive it.

Patient Qualifications

Lap Band and other weight loss surgery options are not available for all patients. In the United States, the National Institutes of Health made regulations that state that weight loss surgery is only an option for people who are clinically obese or are suffering from ill health due to their weight.

Clinically obese people, or people with a body mass index of 40 or greater, qualify for the surgery. Body mass index is found by taking your weight in pounds, multiplying it by 703, and dividing it by the square of your height in inches. It can also be found by dividing your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters.

Patients who have a body mass index that is between 35 and 39 can also qualify for the surgery, but only if they have serious medical conditions as a result of their obesity. Serious medical conditions include diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol. The NIH feels that the danger of these conditions makes the risk of surgery worthwhile.

Non-Medical Considerations

Some patients who qualify for the surgery under the basic physical qualifications should not have it done. Lap Band surgery requires a change in the patient’s diet once the surgery is complete. Since the patient will not be consuming as much food as before the surgery due to the smaller stomach created by the procedure, the nutrients in the food that is eaten must be carefully considered. Patients who eat junk food after surgery can suffer from deficiencies in certain essential vitamins and other nutrients.

Also, the small pouch created by the Lap Band system can stretch, because it is still part of the stomach. Patients who continue to overeat after the surgery in spite of the increased feeling of fullness will not lose weight. They will simply have wasted their money on the surgery, because they will not get the results they want.

Those who are good candidates for Lap Band surgery are those who are ready to make a commitment to change their lifestyles afterwards. Those who have tried to diet and follow a workout routine without successfully losing weight are good candidates. They have already shown that they can make the changes necessary to lose weight. They simply need the extra help that weight loss surgery can provide.

Why Choose Lap Band

If you are a candidate for weight loss surgery and have decided that the potential risks and high cost are worth it in return for finally being able to lose the weight, LapBand is an excellent choice. This surgery will help you to feel full on far less food. It is an adjustable surgery, which means that your doctor will be able to make simple changes to adjust for too rapid or to slow of weight loss results.

Before choosing Lap Band surgery, be sure that you discuss the potential benefits and risks with your physician. Make sure you understand what will be required of you after the surgery. If you still feel like LapBand will give you the help you need to get back to a healthy weight, then schedule the surgery. If you meet the qualifications, you will find that Lap Band is an excellent alternative to gastric bypass or other weight loss surgeries.

Amy Nutt

Weight, and in particular the subject of losing it, is something we are faced with every day. A little bit of extra weight may not be too difficult to lose but crunch time comes when you reach a weight where you are unable to exercise to reduce it and so the vicious circle begins. We eat because we are unhappy and we become unhappy when we are overweight.

Some may turn to surgery to shed this excess weight and this could be in the form of liposuction or one of the other types of weight loss surgery such as a gastric bypass or lap band placement (Laparoscopic band placement surgery). These options should only be considered if you are considerably overweight and they will require lifestyle changes to compliment them in terms of your dietary requirements and exercise routines. This is important if you want to maintain the weight loss you experience.

You can expect to lose between 50-60% of your excess weight within a couple of years if you opt for a bypass or gastric banding. Both of these procedures create a small stomach pouch so you feel fuller much more quickly. With a gastric bypass you have the added advantage of cutting out a portion of the small intestine which reduces the nutrient absorption which takes place here. If you imagine a section at the top of the stomach being sealed off and, quite literally, a bypass being taken from here to part way along the small intestine, then you can see how it will help to decrease the amount of food you can eat and the calories you absorb.

Some weight related conditions can be improved by these surgical procedures such as weight related diabetes, severe arthritis and high blood pressure so they are certainly worth considering.

If you consider any of the weight loss procedures available in the cosmetic surgery industry today you should make sure you use an accredited surgeon. The 2 main British authorities are BAAPS the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons and BAPRAS the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. There are many companies that can be found widely on the internet who do not have any accreditation and therefore may not have surgeons with the correct level of qualifications and experience. It is extremely important to know that you are in safe hands when it comes to any cosmetic surgery procedure.

If you find a surgeon you are happy with you can undergo weight loss surgery such as lap band surgery with confidence. With any form of cosmetic surgery you should always spend time researching the company you are thinking of using.

james wilkinson

It is so frustrating to be grossly overweight after being thin for most of your lifetime. I used to be slim. All through my growing years, I was never round or plump. I was skinny thin. Until I noticed a lump on my neck when I was 28, sought medical help, and was diagnosed with possibly having hypothyroidism. After going through laboratory tests, the endocrinologist prescribed thyroxine hormone pills. I found the fortnightly trips to the endocrinologist too taxing and I never liked taking pills. To cut the story short, I woke up morning to realize that I have become bigger in size. I was fat. There is really nothing wrong with being fat, except that I was fat because I was sick.

Several years and one pregnancy later, my combined weight gain was more than I could handle. It was affecting my self-image. I kept on dieting but nothing ever worked. It is not as if I ate a lot. On the contrary, my food intake was about half of the food intake of each of my friends. And while I smiled every time people would notice my roundness, deep inside I was seriously hurting. It was time for me to take action. If I could afford it, I probably would have gone for a gastric bypass surgery. But diet and exercise was all I could afford.

The South Beach Diet was mod during my weight crisis and I decided to give it a try. In the beginning , I was not sold on it as it entailed food lists. There were doubts on my mind if I could live without sugar and pasta. But I persisted. I read the book, flipped through the recipes and made my own menu based on the food I preferred from the diet book?s foodlist. First few weeks are supposed to be absolutely carbohydrates-free and sugar-free. Even fruits and vegetables that contained starch and sugar were forbidden foods. The next couple of weeks or so reintroduced certain natural sugars, and then as a maintenance diet, a little more variety in fibrous foods containing starch or sugar were included.

I stuck to the food list. I ate nuts whenever I felt hungry, which was not too often. Breakfast was mainly scrambled eggs, some form of protein and whole wheat sugar-free crackers. Even coffee was stricken out of my daily sustenance because I cannot take it black. Water was the only beverage I drank ? no sodas, no fruit juices, no energy drinks. Major meals were usually composed of a couple of slices of lean meat or chicken, some vegetables like beans and mushrooms, and a slice of whole wheat sugar-free bread ? again downed with water. I got used to it after a few days and I was not hard to maintain.

Weight loss for the first couple of months was significant, more than what I have been able to successfully lose for years and years. I lost around 20 pounds in nearly four months. And then I continued losing several pounds, about two pounds per month. I noticed that I was also losing inches on my ?problem? spots like my belly, my upper arms, my thighs. I was not only losing weight, I was also losing inches!

Not even a year after I started the diet, I was already thin enough to fit into my pre-marriage, pre-pregnancy clothes. My weight was back to what it was before it all started. South Beach Diet was the only diet that worked for me. Maybe it is because it is the right match for my metabolism. Maybe it is because I am more determined now more than ever to shed those pounds and feel good about myself. I am still on the South Beach Diet but I am able to take in occasional doses of sugar and sugary food. Pasta is now back in my menu but I use whole wheat pasta. I would say Dr. Agatston is correct in saying that the South Beach Diet is not a fad diet, but a lifestyle. There is no feeling of deprivation with the South Beach Diet, but only a feeling of satisfaction both in the mental sense and in the gustatory sense.

Gen Wright

The epidemic of obesity that is sweeping the nation has hit home in Connecticut, despite the states reputation of good health. In fact, obesity rates have risen markedly in Connecticut over the past decade, with more than 56% of the population being classified as overweight or obese.

What does this mean? For one thing, obesity is a serious threat to individual health. Researchers say that a high body mass index (BMI) constitutes a greater threat to a persons overall health than tobacco use or alcohol abuse. Being obese may also lead to other life-threatening illnesses, called co-morbidities, such as heart disease, hypertension, and Type II diabetes.

Obesity is a public health threat as well. Nationwide, obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States.

And then, there are financial implications. According to a recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control, the cost of obesity to Connecticut is substantial: In 2003, state taxpayers paid $665 million of the $856 million total cost of obesity-related public heath activity in Connecticut. Of that $665 million, $246 million was paid out in Medicare costs and $419 million in Medicaid costs; the remaining $191 million was picked up by private insurance companies. In other words, the taxpayers of Connecticut cover some 77% of the states obesity-related health-care costs every year.

What can be Done?

Of course, treating obesity is no mean feat, and the citizens of Connecticut are facing this problem in a variety of ways. Many of those suffering from obesity simply ignore their condition until disaster strikes. Of those who do attempt to deal with their obesity, many try to lose their excess weight by means of fad diets, exercise programs, or weight-loss pills and powders. For a tiny minority, these methods work. But the vast majority of people quickly regain the weight they lost after they suspend their self-defined program. For them, as well as those who lose no weight at all, there are extreme emotional consequences, due to their perceived lack of character.

Obesity is not a character defect. It is a disease a disordered relationship between the person, the food they eat, and the lifestyle they lead. As a disease, obesity is best treated medically, and one increasingly popular method of treatment is bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery. Although not a panacea, surgical weight loss has been proven to be an effective solution for those whose lives are jeopardized by obesity. Surgical treatment can help minimize or resolve obesity-related health problems for people with a BMI of 35 or higher. It can also help those who are obese but have no co-morbidities reach their ideal weight and guard against developing weight-related health problems in the future.

Considering Surgical Weight Loss

Weight loss surgery can be life-changing. However, it is not a magic formula, and the disease of obesity cannot be cured by surgery alone. Patients who fail to follow prescribed lifestyle changes and disregard their doctors instructions may regain the weight they lose, or reach a weight-loss plateau over time, even with successful bariatric surgery. The decision to undergo most types of weight loss surgery also has life-long implications, since some procedures are irreversible.

Although bariatric surgery can be a solution to cases of life-threatening obesity, anyone considering the surgical treatment of obesity should consult with his or her primary care doctor, and also speak with one of the many qualified bariatric surgeons in Connecticut regarding the risks and possible outcomes of surgery.

Craig B. Thompson

Theres an epidemic haunting California: the epidemic of obesity. In the Golden State alone, more than 56% of the population is overweight or obese, with the prevalence of obesity having risen markedly in California over the past decade. According to the California Department of Public Health:

This epidemic affects virtually all age, income, educational, ethnic and disability groups [and] 22 percent of California children and teens [are] overweight Rates of chronic disease and disability associated with poor diet and inactivity continue to escalate year after year.

SOURCE: California Obesity Prevention Plan: A Vision for Tomorrow, Strategic Actions for Today, http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/Pages/COPP.aspx

And its spreading. Nationwide, obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States.

What does the epidemic of obesity mean for Californians? State health officials warn that those above their healthy weight may fall victim to other life-threatening illnesses, called co-morbidities, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and Type II diabetes.

The costs and consequences associated with obesity constitute a greater threat to the overall health of Californians than do tobacco use or alcohol abuse. And, treating these conditions creates a significant economic burden for the state.

Californias costs attributable to physical inactivity, obesity and overweight [individuals] in 2005 were projected to reach $28 billion for health care and lost work productivity The public sector finances nearly half of all adult obesity medical spending through Medicaid and Medicare [Ibid.]

Its obvious that the people of California need to do something to control the obesity epidemic.

What to Do?

Living with obesity is a struggle, and those who suffer from this condition often make dozens, if not hundreds of attempts to lose their excess weight through diet and exercise programs, weight-loss pills, hypnosis, and other means. Some sufferers lose significant weight in this fashion, but many quickly regain it after they suspend their weight loss program.

Fortunately, another option exists: weight loss surgery. Surgical Bariatric surgery has been proven to help ease or even completely resolve obesity-related health problems for individuals with a BMI of at least 35. It can also help obese individuals who have no co-morbidities reach their ideal weight and reduce their chances of developing weight-related health issues in the future.

About weight loss surgery

Most weight loss surgery procedures are performed laparoscopically under general anesthesia, although some are performed through open surgery. Malabsorptive procedures involve changes to the patients intestinal tract, which in turn changes the way the body absorbs calories and nutrients. Restrictive procedures, such as the Lap-band procedure, create a smaller stomach pouch that limits the amount of food a person can eat and helps them feel full faster. Combination procedures, like the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, also create a small stomach pouch in addition to altering the intestinal tract.

Not a Magic Cure

Weight loss surgery can be a true lifesaver but its no magic cure for the epidemic of obesity in California. If a patients fails to adopt a healthy lifestyle after surgery, he or she may regain any weight lost. And, of course, bariatric surgery presents the possibility of major postoperative complications, including anemia, ulcers, internal hernias, calcium deficiencies, and gallstones.

Those considering surgical treatment for obesity should weigh the risks and possible outcomes of these procedures carefully in consultation with their physician before making a decision.

Craig B. Thompson