Treatment of Obesity

Prevention and treatment of obesity are essential for your health, and it is important to become as well educated as possible about treatment options, such as medically supervised weight loss programs and the various types of bariatric surgery.

Prevention of obesity is the ideal method of defense. Staying active and monitoring caloric intake to maintain a healthy weight is generally easier than losing weight. As a person gains and loses weight with low-calorie “diets,” the body becomes more effieicent at storing excess calories, resulting in weight regain. This becomes the cycle of “yo-yo” weight loss and gain.

We can help our children prevent obesity from an early age. It is estimated that 16 percent of children and adolescents are overweight or obese in the United States. St. Luke’s provides an effective, family-centered resource for childhood obesity.

Medically Supervised Weight Loss Programs
Medical weight loss programs can be very useful for certain individuals. If your BMI is 26-35, you are considered obese, but not a candidate for surgery. In this range, you may be able to lose weight through a well-organized program of diet, exercise, and possibly a weight loss medication. Maintenance of long-term weight loss on these programs can positively impact your health. Studies show that people on such programs lose an average of 10-15 percent of their excess weight over a period of two years, but there is a strong tendency to regain that weight when the program or medication is stopped.

Surgical Weight Loss Programs
The landmark “National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference Report,” compiled by top American obesity experts in 1991, states that for people who are considered morbidly obese, diets, exercise programs, and medication regimens fail almost without exception. The report went on to say that surgery should, or could, be offered to these patients because of its high rate of success. This is confirmed by scientific evidence still today.

Because of the very high risk of developing health problems and early death faced by severely obese people, bariatric surgery has also been endorsed by the American Medical Association, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and the American Association of Family Practitioners.

To be a candidate for bariatric surgery, an individual must meet the criteria established by the National Institutes of Health and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. To meet these criteria, you must have a BMI of 40 or greater (generally, 100 pounds over ideal weight), or a BMI of 35-40, with two or more “co-morbidities” (health issues) associated with your weight, such as diabetes or hypertension.

Go to Types of Bariatric Surgery