Bariatric Lap Band - A Popular Choice But Do You Need Bariatric Surgery?

Have you thought about whether bariatric surgery might be the answer to your weight problem, or to that of a loved one?

Bariatric surgery is more commonly referred to as weight loss or gastric bypass surgery and essentially changes the structure of your stomach, and sometimes your entire digestive system, to limit the amount of food that you can eat and digest.

Although surgery offers a quick and immediate solution to the problem of losing weight, it is far from a simple process and, apart from the fact that not everyone will qualify for surgery, bariatric surgery, even in relatively limited format such as bariatric lap band surgery, is certainly not the best solution for everyone.

The fact that you are overweight, or even obese, is not enough of a reason to qualify you for bariatric surgery and you will certainly be required to start out by trying a healthy and balanced diet combined with a structured exercise program before you will be considered for any form of weight loss surgery.

So, assuming that you have tried traditional diet and exercise without success, how do you qualify for surgery? You may be considered a suitable candidate for bariatric surgery if you are not simply quite a bit overweight but are severely or morbidly obese. This usually means that you have a Body Mass Index, or BMI, in excess of 40 or between 35 and 40 and have one or more related health problems (often referred to as co-morbid conditions) such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

Body Mass Index is calculated based upon a person's height and weight and, in very general terms, a BMI of 40 means that you will be at least 100 pounds overweight if you are a man and 60 pounds overweight if you are a woman.

Assuming that you qualify as a suitable candidate, the next thing that you need to consider is the fact that bariatric surgery, even in minimally invasive forms like bariatric lap band surgery, carries risks and will also result in the need for considerable changes to your lifestyle, which can be very psychologically challenging.

The implications of undergoing surgery need to be fully researched and understood before any decision to undergo bariatric surgery is taken and the starting point of course should be to discuss the possibility with your doctor.

Please visit GastricBypassFacts.info for more information about bariatric lap band surgery or
for further information about many of the issues surrounding gastric bypass surgery.

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