Losing weight can be a very difficult, lifelong problem for many people. The best way to lose weight is to adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes a healthy diet, cardiovascular exercise, strength training and proper hydration. However, some people do not respond as well to exercises or are not in the proper condition to do enough exercise to matter. In those type of cases, weight-loss surgery may be an option.
Weight-Loss Surgery Candidates
Most physicians will only consider bypass surgery for those with a body mass index of 40 or higher. That is considered extremely obese. According to the Mayo Clinic, physicians will consider the weight-loss surgery for those who meet the body mass index requirements and for those with a body mass index of 35.5 to 39.9 if they also have a weight-related health concern such as high blood pressure or diabetes.
Types of Surgery
Your physician may consider several types of surgery. The Lap-Band adjustable gastric banding surgery uses an inflatable band to divide the stomach into two parts and then pulls the band tight like a belt. This limits the amount of food that can be eaten. Vertical-banded gastroplasty is more commonly known as stomach stapling. This operation also divides the stomach into two parts. The upper part of the division is smaller and it can result in less food being eaten. Other surgeries include the sleeve gastrectomy, biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch and the Roux-en-y.
Results
According to a December 2008 study by the International Journal of Obesity, those who exercise to lose weight and those who have surgery have similar results after 12 months. Both gained back small amounts of weight. The caloric intake was 1,460 for the group that had surgery while the exercise group ate 1,407 calories per day. The biggest difference was that the group that had surgery took 37 percent of its calories from fat while the exercise group took 27.6 percent.
