Every day at Foothills Weight Loss Specialists we see the dramatic health benefits bariatric surgery can bring to the formerly morbidly obese. It’s gratifying to see that leading medical associations also recognize the benefits of this potentially life-saving surgery.
In 2010, the American Diabetes Association published their position statement that said in part, “Bariatric surgery should be considered for adults with a BMI of 35 and above with Type 2 diabetes, especially if the diabetes is difficult to control with lifestyle and pharmacologic therapy.”
In March 2011, the American Heart Association issued a scientific statement indicating that bariatric surgery can result in long-term weight loss and significant reductions in cardiac and other risk factors for some severely obese adults.
Statement highlights include:
- “Bariatric surgery is a viable option for patients who are severely obese and are safe surgical candidates who have failed medical therapy for losing weight.”
- “When indicated, bariatric surgery often leads to long-term weight loss and significantly improved health.”
- “While there are risks, bariatric surgery is considered a relatively safe procedure, especially in centers that perform many of the procedures.”
Paul Poirier, M.D., Ph.D., director of the prevention/rehabilitation program at Quebec Heart and Lung Institute at Laval University Hospital in Canada and lead author of the statement, said: “Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, as well as in much of the industrialized world. The most rapidly growing segment of the obese population is the severely obese. The health consequences of severe obesity are profound. In comparison with normal-weight individuals, a 25-year-old severely obese man has a 22 percent reduction in his expected lifespan.”
Bariatric surgery is not for everyone, but as scientific evidence is bearing out, it can be an important life-saving procedure for the morbidly obese.
If you are obese and suffer from diabetes and/or cardiac risk factors, sign up for one of our free seminars to learn if bariatric surgery is right for you.