Archives: April 2019
Cutting Through the Weight Loss Hype
When prospective patients start their bariatric surgery research, it can get confusing…fast. Most diet and exercise programs fail to offer long-term results on their own 5 or 10 years out, even if lots of weight is lost in the short-term. We also know that living with excess weight, especially morbid obesity, is not sustainable and is the fast track toward many serious follow-on diseases. So, how do we figure out what works and what doesn’t and most importantly the best option for our particular circumstance?
Non-surgical Versus Surgical Weight Loss
One of the first decisions we have to make revolves around the mechanism for losing weight. Non-surgical weight loss, in the form of physician supervised weight loss programs or weight loss medication, have some proven effectiveness. Many patients will lose up to 30% of their excess bodyweight and can often maintain it – but only as long as they continue the program. This is where non-surgical weight loss fails; only a small number of people are able to maintain their weight once they end the program.
