Alternatives to Gastric Bypass Surgery
After many failed attempts at losing weight, some people feel that gastric bypass surgery is their only option. Despite feelings of hopelessness, there are alternatives to surgery. These alternatives are not only safer, they also provide the necessary components needed for long term lifestyle change and weight loss success. A combination of alternatives can help you safely lose weight for good.
Types
Several alternative methods can be combined to result in successful weight loss.
Therapy sessions with a trained psychologist who has experience working with obese patients and a support group with peers struggling with weight issues can be very helpful.
Biofeedback is a technique that involves the analysis of physical responses to stress and their control to change behavior. Guided imagery has also been successful as a way to reduce stress and ultimately change the behaviors associated with it. Naturally, these alternatives are more successful for weight loss when combined with a balanced, healthy diet, reduced caloric intake and regular physical activity.
Function
Obesity can result from emotions related to past events. Psychotherapy enables a patient to discover and treat the underlying causes of overeating that leads to obesity. The sessions serve as a support system to facilitate long term change. In addition, overeating results from stress and emotional factors related to our response to stress.
Biofeedback involves using a non-invasive machine that allows you to determine and control your physical responses to stressful situations such as increased heart rate, blood pressure and tension. By controlling your response to stress, you can reduce the need to overeat as a method for coping.
Guided imagery helps calm the mind and reduce stress. A physical guide or a tape recording leads participants to imagine details of a specific item. This practice enlightens the senses, encourages focus and reduces negative response to stress which can reduce emotional eating.
Benefits
The major benefit to choosing an alternative to this surgery is safety. Obesity comes with great risks, but the surgery itself carries the risk of many complications, including death. In addition, for the surgery to be successful lifestyle habits must still be changed. By combining alternatives that address emotional issues with necessary changes in diet and activity, patients can be successful at losing weight without the risk of the surgery.
Prevention/Solution
Weight gain is much more than a physical problem. Mental and emotional factors play a role in the overeating that results in morbid obesity. Practicing alternative medicine techniques can solve the problem of obesity and prevent weight gain from reoccurring. While many who have the surgery lose weight, many also regain the weight because they fail to conform to the requirements involving eating patterns and increased activity necessary after surgery. It is less expensive and less dangerous to approach the problem from a lifestyle and psychological perspective before turning to surgery as a solution.
Considerations
It is important to seek the advice of an objective medical professional when making a decision about gastric bypass. Some cases of obesity are life threatening and may require immediate, drastic changes. A medical professional who will not be financially benefiting from the surgery should evaluate your unique condition and assess the approach you need to take to lose weight and keep it off. It is also important to seek alternative treatments from certified health professionals. Techniques such as biofeedback and guided imagery provide the most benefit when administered by a qualified individual.
