Is Gastric Bypass Surgery for You?

by Lisa P | More from this Blogger

30 Oct 2007 05:45 PM

If you can still lose weight by following a healthy diet and exercise then bariatric surgery is not for you.

If you think you'd rather just have surgery to make the weight go away so that you can get on with your life then bariatric surgery is definitely not for you!

Having a gastric bypass is not the easy way to weight loss. It simply provides motivated individuals with a second chance to do it right. Even after the surgery you'll have to eat right and exercise to meet your goal weight. The surgery itself just resets your system so that you can actually start losing weight again.

Now, if you are eating right, exercising and getting plenty of sleep every night and still can't lose weight but your BMI is 40 or more and you have health problems because of your weight then you might consider a gastric bypass.

A gastric bypass changes your digestive system to limit the amount of food you can eat and absorb. The weight loss happens because the amount of food that your stomach can hold is severely restricted. To give you an idea of the kind of restriction I'm talking about, consider the difference in the capacity of a Big Gulp vs. a shot glass.

There are plenty of surgeons out there who will be happy to do this surgery on somebody who really doesn't need it but most will require you to fall within certain criteria before they consider putting you under the knife.

Gastric Bypass Criteria

Gastric bypass is not an easy way out. It is a serious surgery and should only be considered as a last resort.

• Are you extremely obese with a BMI of 40 or more? • Do you have serious weight-related health problems because of your weight such as diabetes, high blood pressure or joint or back problems?

Over my next few blogs, I'll be discussing more about bariatric surgery, both the good and the bad. If you're considering this as an option, I hope you'll read on.

Learn more about Lisa P

Lisa used to be a freelance writer and Community Manager for Families.com, but she has finally made the jump to novelist.

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