Better Health with Weight Loss Surgery

Your Health May Change for the Better After Weight Loss Surgery

There’s so much more to obesity than added weight. Often, obesity triggers health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea, too. Weight loss surgery can have a major impact on your overall health, helping to lessen or even eliminate many of these health concerns. The sooner you’re able to get weight loss surgery, the sooner you’ll start looking and feeling better.

Why weight? Learn how weight loss surgery may affect common obesity-related health conditions.

Weight Loss Surgery’s Impact on Diabetes

Losing weight lowers your risk of developing diabetes, or can improve it if you already have the condition. Studies have shown that almost everyone who has weight loss surgery will see an improvement or complete remission of the disease.

The Lowdown on High Blood Pressure

Also known as hypertension, three out of four cases of high blood pressure are obesity-related. Weight loss surgery has been shown to reduce blood pressure levels to a normal or near normal range.

Changes in Cholesterol Levels

Weight loss will help you lower LDL (bad) and triglyceride levels, and raise HDL (good) levels, all of which will help lower your risk for heart disease. Cholesterol levels can drop to normal or near normal range following weight loss surgery.

Sleep Apnea Improvements

Obesity often leads to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is when you stop breathing multiple times at night, waking you each time. Weight loss surgery can significantly improve OSA and may eliminate the need for a CPAP (continuous positive airways pressure) machine during sleep.

Reduced Risk of Certain Cancers

As your body mass index (BMI) goes up, so does your risk of developing certain kinds of cancer, like liver, kidney, pancreatic, prostate and post-menopausal breast cancer, among others. Studies have shown that people who have weight loss surgery can lower their risk of certain obesity-related cancers.

Less Stress on Bones and Joints

Excess weight puts a lot of stress on joints, but it’s not just the weight itself harming your joints. There’s evidence that substances in excess fat damage joints and can trigger or intensify osteoarthritis. Losing weight reduces joint stress and improves the pain from arthritis, too.

Improve Your Outlook

Beyond the physical improvements that weight loss surgery can bring, there are mental benefits, as well. Because being obese greatly affects your self-esteem and emotional wellbeing, losing weight via weight loss surgery can significantly improve your psychological state. Fewer medications, less pain and a more positive outlook on life—don’t just imagine it, act on it.   

Weight loss surgery is generally designed for those with a body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 40, or equal to or greater than 35 with serious co-morbidities. Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding with the Lap Band® is also FDA-approved for weight loss surgery in people with a BMI of 30 to 35 who have at least one obesity-related condition. Weight loss surgery is considered safe, but like many types of surgery, it does have risks. Consult with your physician about the risks and benefits of weight loss surgery.

Sources:
American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
American Cancer Society
American Heart Association
Arthritis Foundation
Center for Disease Control and Prevention