Obesity Surgery.
Many of us would like to be a bit thinner, but there is a group of patients with severe obesity who are at risk of major medical problems. If other weight loss methods prove fruitless then obesity surgery may be the answer.
Obesity the Disease
At present 43% of men and 29% of women in the U.K. are overweight. 'Overweight' is defined as a 'body mass index' or BMI of greater than 27. Of these people, 13% of men and 16% of women could undergo weight loss treatment as they are defined obese- that is, with a body mass index of 30 or more. A proportion of these would be described as morbidly obese, which means that they have a BMI of more than 35 and may wish to consider weight loss surgery. Being over weight to this degree is a threat to your life and weight loss surgery with The Landauer Group could be a quick way to excess fat removal and saving your life before it is too late.
Why does Obesity Worry Doctors?
Obesity causes health problems and can even lead to early death. Doctors and the government are so concerned that targets have been set in the United Kingdom to reduce the number of people who are obese, but these targets are unlikely to be met.
The medical conditions which can develop as a result of obesity vary widely. Some are embarrassing, such as incontinence; others affect your life style, such as arthritis; and others can be potentially life-threatening, such as heart disease and varies forms of cancer. Obesity surgeons say that if weight loss treatment is not carried out in time the individual could die prematurely. Ask yourself, wow many morbidly obese 70 year olds do you see walking around? Not many!
Obesity surgery in the form of a gastric bypass may be an option for the morbidly obese.
Many weight related medical conditions will go away if a person is able to lose their extra weight, and keep it off.
The most important problems which can develop are:
- Diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks, angina, high cholesterol levels. All of these increase the chances of having a stroke and of dying prematurely, and diabetes also increases the risks of kidney failure and blindness.
- Arthritis, particularly to the back, hips, knees, and ankles.
- Asthma or breathing disorders, which make you breathless and limit what you are able to do physically.
- A condition called 'obstructive sleep apnea' where a person unknowingly stops breathing for periods while asleep.
- This leads to very restless sleep, loud snoring, daytime headaches and a risk of falling asleep during the day.
In women, obesity can cause painful heavy periods, infertility and incontinence. Obesity statistically increases the risks of developing the following cancers: breast, uterus, cervix and ovary in woman, prostate in men, and the large intestine and the rectum in both sexes.
Obesity: A Medical Condition
Unfortunately people who suffer from obesity are badly misunderstood by those of the population who are not obese.
There is a common attitude that overweight people are lazy, stupid and unable to control themselves and weight loss can be perceived as impossible. People who are obese are often the brunt of cruel jokes and thoughtless humour, even to the point of suffering from abusive comments in public places. We now know that the medical condition of morbid obesity is a complex disorder, and not simply due to a person over-eating. The vast majority of people living in the Western World eat far more calories than they need but it is only a very small proportion that relentlessly lay down every excess calorie in their fat stores.
Most people have a mechanism, by which their body knows when their stores have been refilled, but there is an unfortunate group of people where this mechanism is actually defective, and when they eat it can be likened to filling up the bath with the overflow blocked off. It may be possible for this serious disorder to be corrected by obesity surgery and it requires a qualified obesity surgeon to give advice on this kind of weight loss treatment.
Morbid Obesity in Families
The disorder of morbid obesity often runs in families. The chance of having morbid obesity is clearly increased if other people in your family have the condition. Thus weight loss treatment becomes crucial where there is a family history of this problem.
Studies of identical twins that were separated at birth and brought up separately show that if one twin becomes obese, then the other one is likely to become obese also.
Does any of this sound familiar? Address the problem now! Call the Landauer Group on 0844 335 6126.
Further Reading on Obesity
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