The obesity epidemic in America continues on. There are more obese people than ever before and that number continues to rise. While there have been multiple campaigns focused on trying to educate people about a healthy diet, things have not slowed down.
Because of the continuous growth of obesity, there has been a continuous growth in surgery to work to counter it as well. Many people have chosen surgery as a way for them to fight obesity. While changes in lifestyle (specifically diet and exercise) are always going to be the first choice in the fight against obesity, surgery does provide an alternative option for people who otherwise struggle to go against obesity.
Lap Band
The surgery that many people choose to take part of these days is what’s commonly referred to as the Lap-Band surgery. This is a brand name however. It’s actually the commonly used name for what’s known as a gastric banding surgery. The goal of a gastric banding surgery is to trick the mind into thinking it’s full. The gastric banding surgery can often be performed in a less invasive manner than other surgeries.
A lap band surgery places a silicone ring that circles the upper portion of the stomach. After that, it’s filled with a saline solution to increase it. What this effectively does is restrict the size of the stomach and the opening to the stomach. This in turns sends signals to the brain that the body is already full.
People who qualify for a lap band surgery typically need a history with their doctor. The doctor will want proof that the person is unable to lose weight in the most traditional way. People who choose to undergo the surgery have to make a severe lifestyle change. For that reason it’s not administered to teenagers and only administered to adults.
Gastric Bypass
The gastric bypass is one of the most involved surgeries that can take place in the attempt to lose weight. It does an excellent job at restricting the amount of food that can be consumed and changes stomach hormones to reduce appetite.
The gastric bypass is a fairly involved procedure. There’s two parts involved. The stomach is divided into a small pouch like part at the top and directly connected to a severed small intestine. This makes the small stomach very small. The larger portion of the stomach is reattached lower down to make sure that it’s still providing the digestive enzymes the body will still required.
Sleeve Gastrectomy
The sleeve gastrectomy is another popular obesity surgery. This surgery is often just referred to as “The Sleeve”. Like some of the other surgeries, this one does a great job at reducing the amount of food that fits into the stomach. However unlike a surgery similar to gastric banding, there’s no reversing this surgery if someone chooses to undergo it.
With this surgery, the majority of the stomach is simply removed. This makes for a stomach pouch that is approximately 20% of the size it was before. The most beneficial aspect is that it has a great impact on the hormones of the stomach. This ends up helping with hunger and also blood sugar control.