There are many reasons to try to lose weight. Some studies have shown that the loss of 5 to 10% of your body weight is proven to lower the risk of heart disease, while a Harvard study showed that obesity increased the risk of diabetes by 20 times. There are also other considerations — carrying around all that extra weight puts a strain on your skeletal frame, causing aches and pains and difficulty breathing.
And, of course, some people just want to feel pride in the way they look.
But for many people, traditional diets and medical weight loss programs simply don’t cut it, which is when weight loss surgery options come in. Check out an explanation of three types of surgery below to familiarize yourself with these options:
Gastric Bypass
In gastric bypass surgeries, a surgeon first creates a smaller stomach area. Then, the surgeon makes sure the new stomach bypasses part of the small intestine. Because patients both eat less and absorb less calories, patients can expect to lose up to 80% of excess weight within a year or a year and a half of the surgery. Not only that, but about 50% of that lost excess weight will still be lost five years after surgery.
Gastric Sleeve
In this form of restrictive weight loss surgery, the surgeon removes about 75% of the stomach, leaving a small, narrow sleeve connected to the intestines. This operation is good for people who are extremely obese, sick, or when other types of weight loss surgery might be too risky. And, since the surgery doesn’t affect the intestines, the gastric sleeve doesn’t affect how your body absorbs nutrients.
It is, however, irreversible.
Lap Band
This is a restrictive weight loss surgery in which a surgeon uses an inflatable band in order to squeeze the stomach into two sections: a small upper pouch and larger lower one. The sections remain connected by a small channel, which slows the emptying of the upper pouch. The result is that most people will only be able to eat 1/2 to 1 cup of food before feeling too full.
If you feel like one of these weight loss surgery options are right for you, contact weight loss doctors to find out more about lap band insurance, gastric sleeve qualifications, and more, so you can make an informed decision about the future of your weight and health.
