Overweight is a global phenomenon which not a gender sensitive or age specific. According to the World Health Organization in their March 2013 report, there are more than 40 million children under five years old were overweight in 2011. In 2008, there were more than 1.4 billion adults (20 and older) were overweight and of this figure, 200 million were men and nearly 300 million were women. Further, the report also stated that 65% of the obese people live in a country where the death cause by overweight is higher than underweight.

It is for this reason why companies have manufactured their own diet pills combined with a different weight-loss program to address the global demand for weight loss. Apart from the diet pills, there are also products being sold all over the net that claims to help overweight people trim down their fats and live and healthy life. But what if everything is not working on you? Bariatric surgery is the last resort that most obese people would opt to have. In a lay-man’s term, it is a surgical procedure that reduces the size of the stomach, where the food lodges. Although this type of procedure is not a cure for obesity, but it is one of the options to lose weight, performed by surgeons. Over the years, experts in this field have continued to explore this option and today, there are many types of bariatric surgeries to choose from.

  • Single incision adjustable gastric banding (SILS), this type of procedure has less pain with minimal to zero scarring, plus the recovery is faster since the procedure does not involve stomach muscle cutting. This invasive procedure is the most advance in the field of bariatric surgery where surgeons incised patients via a single entry point which is through the belly button.
  • Adjustable Gastric Banding (Lap –Band and Realize Band), surgeons place a hollow band from special material around the upper end of the stomach, to create a narrow passage. The band is inflated with a salt solution to regulate the flow of the food to the larger portion of the stomach.
  • Laparoscopic Gastric Sleeve Gastrectomy Gastric Sleeve Surgery – is one of the latest options in bariatric surgery where surgeons remove 75-80% of stomach volume while maintaining the same opening and output of the stomach.

Experts in bariatric surgery can alternatively suggest an obese patient the best procedurefor them after carefully assessing their physical condition. The direct effect on this type of surgery to the obese individual is to live longer and healthier. However, there are still guidelines to follow, such as the number of calories per day, and what foods to avoid, right after the surgery. Patients are, likewise, advised to continue to do exercise at least 30-45 minutes a day and change in lifestyle. In conclusion, bariatric surgery offers value to obese patients, in terms attaining the ideal weight and overcoming societal judgment. Entrust this work to the expert and be safe.

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