Morbid obesity treatment*

Morbid obesity treatment depends on the overall health of the person who suffers from it. On its own, the term obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat accumulates over time and may eventually lead to health problems. These problems can reduce the quality of life for the sufferer and can lead to death. The definition of morbid obesity is those who have a body mass index (BMI) in excess of 40 or they are over 100 pounds over their normal weight. Super morbid obesity is defined as anyone with a BMI greater than 45 or 50. Some nations have created definitions of obesity that show a much lower BMI. Japan and China show much lower BMI numbers due to the smaller statures of their average citizens.

Obesity is one of the leading causes of death that can be prevented and morbid obesity treatments such a bariatric (weight loss) surgery have proved to have been helpful in many. Diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and stroke are some of the more serious health issues associated with excessive body weight. Other contributing factors causing obesity are insufficient sleep, hormonal imbalances, pregnancy at a late age and the use of some medications. Possibly, the most surprising contributing factor may be a decrease in smoking. Since smoking is an appetite suppressant, a former smoker may gain weight upon the return of his or her appetite. A normal course of action in weight reduction is diet and exercise. However, for the morbidly obese person, surgery is often the primary method of weight loss initially.

Surgery for morbid obesity includes various forms of bariatric procedures such as gastrectomy or lap banding. Gastrectomy is sometimes referred to as stomach stapling. This procedure eliminates 85% of the stomach’s function by literally stapling a  large part of the stomach so that a narrow tube or sleeve is created. A gastrectomy is a permanent procedure that cannot be reversed. Lap band surgery has become another popular method for rapid weight loss in morbidly obese patients. Though this method requires no staples, it does utilize a restricting band placed around the stomach that can be adjusted or removed. Therefore, lap banding is not necessarily a permanent procedure.

Statistically, the most effective morbid obesity treatments have been gastrectomy procedures. However, there have been some reports of adverse side effects with this form of bariatric surgery, it is still considered to have minimal risks. Dumping and infection are the greatest risk factors in gastrectomies. Dumping is the rapid passing of food from the functional portion of the stomach into the small intestine. This can cause imbalances in blood glucose levels as well as the potential for perforating the small intestine. Leakage at the site of the staples can lead to infection that will require treatment with antibiotics.

Though surgery for morbid obesity is effective, the key is maintaining the weight loss. Further morbid obesity treatments should include exercise and a healthy diet. These aspects of weight loss are critical to the continued health of the formerly obese person.


* http://www.healthforworld.com/morbid-obesity-treatment