Weight Loss and Surgery Options

Here’s a quick formula for losing weight: reduce calorie intake (diet) and increase activity (exercise.)

This plan of action may be easy to understand, but it’s also difficult to follow. Just ask the 36% of Americans who are obese, according to 2010 statistics. A recent study at Duke University projects that the number of obese Americans may reach 42% by 2030, largely due to sedentary lifestyles.

Throughout history, our ancestors were preoccupied with obtaining enough food, rather than worrying about what might happen if we entered a prolonged period of plenty. We might be tempted to think of our collective weight problem as a luxury, if not for the overwhelming evidence that it’s also unhealthy.

Dr. Michael Green at Doctor’s Hospital in Dallas says, “Look at the epidemic proportions of obesity and its negative effects on diabetes, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, reflux, joint pain and even fertility. There’s not one medical discipline that obesity does not influence.”

Obesity means having too much body fat, which is different from being overweight. To determine your current status, you can calculate your Body Mass Index (See BMI sidebar for instructions.) If your BMI is under 30, it indicates overweight, which may be due to muscle, bone, fat or water weight. If your BMI is over 30, it indicates obesity, and a BMI over 40 is considered dangerously obese.

Obesity occurs if you eat more calories than you use. Factors that might contribute include your genetic makeup, a high-fat diet and sedentary lifestyle. Because losing weight requires so much effort, some people become discouraged if they can’t reach their ideal goal. They shouldn’t stop trying, however, because losing even 5% to 10% of body weight can lessen the risk of developing weightrelated diseases.

Obesity also influences mortality rates. “Patients are dying sooner,” says Dr. Green. “We have found a ten to fifteen year difference in individuals that had a normal BMI range versus the more obese BMI range.” It can also be alarming to look at the breakdown between the ranges. Studies of non-smokers show that a BMI of 30–35 reduces life expectancy by two to fouryears, while it is severe obesity (BMIof40 or higher) that reduces life expectancy by 10to fifteen years.

Because of the clear dangers indicated by obesity, physicians become concerned if a patient has tried unsuccessfully to lose weight with diet and exercise. Dr. Green explains, “People who have been battling with this disease for a period of time have struggled. They’ve tried multiple diet plans, and for the most part, those don’t work for the overwhelming number of people that we’re talking about. The population that we’re referencing may need to lose 60 to 100 plus pounds. They are the candidates for surgery.”

Bariatric surgery is an operation on the stomach and/or intestines that can help obese patients lose weight. Depending on the type of surgery, it may restrict food intake, or interrupt how food is digested, or a combination of both. Surgery could be an option for you if:

Efforts to lose weight with diet and exercise have been unsuccessful.

Your BMI is 35 to 39.9 (obesity), and you have a serious weightrelated health problem, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or severe sleep apnea. In some cases, you may qualify for certain types of weight-loss surgery if your BMI is 30 to 34 and you have serious weight-related health problems.

A desire to maintain a healthy lifestyle can be a key component. “If one begins to look at their quality of life, and decides to improve their life by resolving the disease, that is often the driving force behind why people seek surgery,” says Dr. Green.

There are four types of operations that are commonly offered in the United States.

An Adjustable Gastric Band (sometimes called a lap-band) works by decreasing food intake. Food intake is reduced by placing a small band around the top of the stomach to restrict the size of the opening from the throat. The surgeon can control the size of the opening by adding or removing saline from a balloon in the band.

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass restricts food intake and also decreases how food is absorbed. Food intake is limited, similar to the lap-band procedure, and then food is sent directly to the small intestine. The bypass affects how food is absorbed, which results in fewer calories being processed.

HOW TO DETERMINE YOUR BMI

Multiply your weight in pounds by 703.

Divide that answer by your height in inches.

Divide that answer by your height in inches again.

Results:

Below 18.5,Underweight

18.5 - 24.9, Healthy

25.0 - 29.9, Overweight

30.0 - 39.9, Obese

Over 40, Morbidly obese

Source: nih.gov ready to meet THE NEW YOU?

Duodenal Switch (Biliopancreatic Diverstion) is a complex surgery that restricts intake and also prevents absorption. One feature is to remove a large part of the stomach, so the patient feels full sooner. Secondly, food is re-routed from the part of the small intestine, which prevents absorption of calories.

In removing a large part of the stomach, the surgeon creates a more tubular “gastric sleeve” (also known as a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, or VSG, discussed next).

VSG surgery restricts food intake and decreases the amount of food used. VSG has been performed in the past as the first stage of BPD-DS (explained above). However, researchers have found that some patients can lose weight with VSG alone, and avoid the additional procedures of the BPD-DS.

After bariatric surgery, patients who develop new healthy habits will have the most success maintaining weight loss. Considering the dangers of long-term obesity, lifestyle changes are well worth the effort.

Are you

You can improve your health and quality of life for years to come with bariatric surgery at The Surgical Weight Loss Center of Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake.

As a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence, we offer a:

Variety of surgical options.

Patient navigator to support you through your weight loss process.

Comprehensive program that offers access to both pre-operative and post-operative resources and support designed to help you succeed. Start making plans for your surgical weight loss success today.

Baptist

fOREST ME ADOW / 9150 Church Rd. / Welcoming the mosaic of cultures living in our neighborhoods / www.fmbcdallas.org

Worship 10:50 / Bible Study 9:30 / Tim Ahlen, Pastor / 214.341.9555

LAKESIDE BAPTIST / 9150 Garland Rd / 214.324.1425

Pastor Jeff Donnell / Worship 10:30 am & 10:31 am www.lbcdallas.com

PARK CITIES BAPTIST CHURCH / 3933 Northwest Pky / pcbc.org

All services & Bible Study 9:15 & 10:45. Trad. & Blended (Sanctuary),

Contemporary (Great Hall), Amigos de Dios (Gym) / 214.860.1500

WILSHIRE BAPTIST / 4316 Abrams / 214.452.3100

Pastor George A. Mason Ph.D. / Worship 8:30 & 11:00 am

Bible Study 9:40 am / www.wilshirebc.org

Bibl E Chu R Ch Es

NORTH HIGHLANDS BIBLE CHURCH / www.nhbc.net

Sunday: Lifequest (all ages) 9:00 am / Worship 10:30 am

Wed: Student Ministry 7:00 pm / 9626 Church Road / 214.348.9697

DISCIPL ES Of C HR IST

EAST DALLAS CHRISTIAN CHURCH / 629 N. Peak Street / 214.824.8185

Sunday School 9:30 am / THE TABLE Worship Gathering 9:30 am

Worship 8:30 & 10:50 am / Rev. Deborah Morgan / www.edcc.org

L Utheran

CENTRAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, ELCA / 1000 Easton Road

Sunday School for all ages 9:00 am / Worship Service 10:30 am

Pastor Rich Pounds / CentralLutheran.org / 214.327.2222 fIRST UNITED LUTHERAN CHURCH / 6202 E Mockingbird Ln.

Sunday Worship Service 10:30 am / Call for class schedule.

214.821.5929 / www.dallaslutheran.org

ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOL / 6121 E Lovers Ln.

Sunday: Sunday School 9:15 am, Worship 8:00 am, 10:30 am, & 6:00 pm / 214.363.1639 / www.ziondallas.org

Me Thodist

LAKE HIGHLANDS UMC / 9015 Plano Rd. / 214.348.6600 / lhumc.com

9:30 – Sunday School / 10:30 – Fellowship Time

10:50 – Traditional & Contemporary Worship

NON- DE NOMINATIONAL

LAKE HIGHLANDS CHURCH / 9919 McCree / 214.348.0460

Sun: Assemblies 8:45 & 11:30, Classes 10:10, Coffee 11:10

Home groups meet on weeknights. / lakehighlandschurch.org

SHORELINE DALLAS CHURCH / 5321 E. Mockingbird Lane

ShorelineDallas.com / 469.227.0471 / Pastor Earl McClellan

Everyone’s Welcome at 9:15am / Children’s & Youth Ministry

Presb Yt Erian

LAKE HIGHLANDS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH / 214.348.2133

8525 Audelia Road at NW Hwy. / www.lhpres.org

9:00 am Contemporary, 9:55 am Christian Ed., 11:00 am Traditional

NORTHPARK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH / 214.363.5457

9555 N. Central Expwy. / www.northparkpres.org

Pastor: Rev. Brent Barry / 8:30 & 11:00 am Sunday Services

Unit Y

UNIT Y Of DALLAS / A Positive Path For Spiritual Living

6525 Forest Lane, Dallas, TX 75230 / 972-233-7106 / UnityDallas.org

Sunday services: 9:00 am & 11:00 am