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Dr. Blair Lamb, MD recommends
Get Healthy! Stay Healthy! Dr. Lamb Recommends See Yourself Well
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Weight Loss For Ontario ResidentsYou may qualify* for bariatric surgery in Buffalo General Hospital at no cost to you! If being severely overweight (100 pounds or more) has kept you from the life you deserve, help is just across the border in the USA! The Comprehensive Weight Loss & Bariatric Surgery Program at Buffalo General Hospital in Buffalo, New York is less focused on what you will lose and more focused on what you can gain: New Hope. New Health. New Confidence. A whole new you!PROGRAM OF EXCELLENCE The Comprehensive Weight Loss & Bariatric Surgery Program is recognized as an American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Center of Excellence and is also designated as a Preferred Provider by The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. Ontario residents are eligible for complete coverage through OHIP.For information to see if you qualify for the free surgery at Buffalo General Hospital as part of the OHIP program - please call 1-866-878-7006 and be sure to mention VIP Docs for this special program. *For information to see if you qualify for the free surgery at Buffalo General Hospital as part of the OHIP program - please call 1-866-878-7006 and be sure to mention VIP Docs for this special program. Limited time offer.
What Is Obesity?
Obesity results from the excessive accumulation of fat that exceeds the body's skeletal and physical standards. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an increase in 20 percent or more above your ideal body weight is the point at which excess weight becomes a health risk. Today 97 million Americans, more than one-third of the adult population, are overweight or obese. An estimated 5 to 10 million of those are considered morbidly obese.
What Is Morbid Obesity?
Obesity becomes "morbid" when it reaches the point of significantly
increasing the risk of one or more obesity-related health conditions or
serious diseases (also known as co-morbidities) that result either in
significant physical disability or even death. As you read about morbid
obesity you may also see the term "clinically severe obesity" used. Both are
descriptions of the same condition and can be used interchangeably. Morbid
obesity is typically defined as being 100 lbs. or more over ideal body
weight or having a Body Mass Index of 40 or higher. According to the
National Institutes of Health Consensus Report, morbid obesity is a serious
disease and must be treated as such. It is a chronic disease, meaning that
its symptoms build slowly over an extended period of time.
Options for Treatment
For anyone who has considered a weight loss program, there is certainly no shortage of choices. In fact, to qualify for insurance coverage of weight loss surgery, many insurers require patients to have a history of medically supervised weight loss efforts. Most non-surgical weight loss programs are based on some combination of diet/behavior modification and regular exercise. Unfortunately, even the most effective interventions have proven to be effective for only a small percentage of patients. It is estimated that less than 5% of individuals who participate in non-surgical weight loss programs will lose a significant amount of weight and maintain that loss for a long period of time. According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 90% of all people in these programs regain their weight within one year. Sustained weight loss for patients who are morbidly obese is even harder to achieve. Serious health risks have been identified for people who move from diet to diet, subjecting their bodies to a severe and continuing cycle of weight loss and gain known as "yo-yo dieting." The fact remains that morbid obesity is a complex, multifactorial chronic disease. For many patients, the risk of death from not having the surgery is greater than the risks from the possible complications of having the procedure. That is the key reason that in 2000, approximately 40,000 weight loss surgical procedures were performed and why the American Society for Bariatric Surgery estimates that 50,000 weight loss surgical procedures will be performed in 2001. Patients who have had the procedure and are benefiting from its results report improvements in their quality of life, social interactions, psychological well-being, employment opportunities and economic condition. In clinical studies, candidates for the procedure who had multiple
obesity-related health conditions questioned whether they could safely
have the surgery. These studies show that selection of surgical
candidates is based on very strict criteria and surgery is an option for
the majority of patients.
Diet & Behavior Modification There are literally hundreds of diets available. Moving from diet to diet in a cycle of weight gain and loss - yo-yo dieting - that stresses the heart, kidneys and other organs can also be a health risk. Doctors who prescribe and supervise diets for their patients
usually create a customized program with the goal of greatly restricting
calorie intake while maintaining nutrition.
Many patients on Very Low Calorie Diets lose significant amounts of weight. However, after returning to a normal diet, most regain the lost weight in under a year. Ninety percent of people participating in all diet programs will regain the weight they've lost within two years. Behavior modification uses therapy to help patients change their eating and exercise habits. Like low-calorie diets, behavior modification, in most patients, results in short-term success that tends to diminish after the first year. If diet and behavior modifications have failed you and surgery is your next option, it is important to understand that diet and behavior modification will be instrumental to sustained weight loss after your surgery. The surgery itself is only a tool to get your body started losing weight - complying with diet and behavior modifications required by most surgeons would determine your ultimate success. Exercise A National Institutes of Health survey of 13 studies concludes that physical activity:
New theories focusing on the body's set point (the weight range in which your body is programmed to weigh and will fight to maintain that weight) highlight the importance of exercise. When you reduce the number of calories you take in, the body simply reacts by slowing metabolism to burn fewer calories. Daily physical activity can help speed up your metabolism, effectively bringing your set point down to a lower natural weight. So when following a diet to attempt to lose weight, exercise increases your chances of long-term success. Examples to get you started:
Overall, walking is one of the best forms of exercise. Start out slowly and build up. Your doctor, or people in a support group, can offer encouragement and advice. Incorporating exercise into your daily activities will improve your overall health and is important for any long-term weight management program, including weight loss surgery. Diet and exercise play a key role in successful weight loss after surgery. Over-the-Counter & Prescription Drugs Weight loss drugs can have serious side effects. Still, medications are an important step in the morbid obesity treatment process. Before insurance companies will reimburse/pay for weight loss surgery, you must follow a well-documented treatment path. "Since many people cannot lose much weight no matter how hard they try, and promptly regain whatever they do lose, the vast amount of money spent on diet clubs, special foods and over-the-counter remedies, estimated to be on the order of $30 billion to $50 billion yearly, is wasted." (New England Journal of Medicine) Am I Morbidly Obese?Answering this question may give you the courage you need to take the first step. Below are tools you can use to determine if you are morbidly obese and potentially a candidate for weight loss surgery. There are several medically accepted criteria for defining morbid obesity. You are likely morbidly obese if you are:
Select your gender, and then move the red slider handles or select your height and weight to calculate your BMI. The results of the BMI calculations are displayed below. Note that these are approximate values, and are intended to be used only as a rough guide.
Ideal Body Weight Chart
Obesity-Related Health Conditions
Obesity-related health conditions are health conditions that, whether
alone or in combination, can significantly reduce your life expectancy.
A partial list of some of the more common conditions follows. Your
doctor can provide you with a more detailed and complete list:
Type 2 Diabetes. Obese individuals develop a resistance to insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels. Over time, the resulting high blood sugar can cause serious damage to the body. High blood pressure/Heart disease. Excess body weight strains the ability of the heart to function properly. The resulting hypertension (high blood pressure) can result in strokes, as well as inflict significant heart and kidney damage. Osteoarthritis of weight-bearing joints. The additional weight placed on joints, particularly knees and hips, results in rapid wear and tear, along with pain caused by inflammation. Similarly, bones and muscles of the back are constantly strained, resulting in disk problems, pain and decreased mobility. Sleep apnea/Respiratory problems. Fat deposits in the tongue and neck can cause intermittent obstruction of the air passage. Because the obstruction is increased when sleeping on your back, you may find yourself waking frequently to reposition yourself. The resulting loss of sleep often results in daytime drowsiness and headaches. Gastroesophageal reflux/Heartburn. Acid belongs in the stomach and seldom causes any problem when it stays there. When acid escapes into the esophagus through a weak or overloaded valve at the top of the stomach, the result is called gastroesophageal reflux, and "heartburn" and acid indigestion are common symptoms. Approximately 10-15% of patients with even mild sporadic symptoms of heartburn will develop a condition called Barrett's esophagus, which is a pre-malignant change in the lining membrane of the esophagus, a cause of esophageal cancer. For more information on Heartburn, its causes and possible cures, visit www.heartburnhelp.com. Depression. Seriously overweight persons face constant challenges to their emotions: repeated failure with dieting, disapproval from family and friends, sneers and remarks from strangers. They often experience discrimination at work, cannot fit comfortably in theatre seats, or ride in a bus or plane. Infertility. The inability or diminished ability to produce offspring. Urinary stress incontinence. A large, heavy abdomen and relaxation of the pelvic muscles, especially associated with the effects of childbirth, may cause the valve on the urinary bladder to be weakened, leading to leakage of urine with coughing, sneezing, or laughing. Menstrual irregularities. Morbidly obese individuals often experience disruptions of the menstrual cycle, including interruption of the menstrual cycle, abnormal menstrual flow and increased pain associated with the menstrual cycle.U For information to see if you qualify for the free surgery at Buffalo General Hospital as part of the OHIP program - please call 1-866-878-7006 and be sure to mention VIP Docs for this special program. You of course should decide whether or not this or any medical procedure is appropriate for you by discussing it with your medical professionals. We are not
making a specific recommendation for any individual. Email weightloss@vipdocs.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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