Weight Loss Tips and Reviews

If you have ever been over weight in your life, then you understand the feelings that occur every time you step on the scales.  For some people, being overweight has been a permanent part of their life since they were teenagers or younger.  More and more of the youth today are becoming overweight, from very young children to pre-teens to adolescent teenagers.  Society says it’s because we are raising couch potatoes or kids that would rather sit in front of the television and play games, then run and play outside.  Whatever the reason, if you are overweight it is a daily battle or struggle and for those who have been fighting it all their life, with diet after diet and failed, weight loss surgery maybe what they are considering next.

There are at least two types of weight loss surgery available these days. Adjustable gastric banding surgery or lap band as it is more commonly known is one of them.  Lap Band works by decreasing the amount of food you can eat, before you feel full or too full.  This is accomplished by placing a silicone band with an inner inflatable ring around the upper stomach to slow food going into the lower stomach. What makes this surgery different from others?  It is the ability to adjust the band.

The inner ring can be inflated or deflated as needed to achieve weight loss by restricting the stomach.  Basically the person should feel full with a lesser amount of food consumed.  There by slowing the digestion and increasing the feeling of fullness.  The ring is inflated or deflated through a port just below the skin, by adding or removing saline solution.  If the band is not tight enough, too much food is eaten at a meal and the band needs to be tightened.  On the other hand, if the patient experiences vomiting or difficult swallowing after eating, it may be too tight, and some of the solution will need to be removed.

Weight loss surgery is not something to be taken lightly.  It is a major decision and requires the person to alter their eating habits or it is a waste of time and money.  This is the least invasive surgery with the only non reversible piece being that of the port.  It is permanent.   The surgery can be performed by laparoscopy using general anesthesia.  Recovery time is minimal, with patients returning to work within a few days and normal activities within a week or two.    

Weight loss outcome with lap band surgery is usually two to three pounds a week to start, and usually after the first year slows to approximately one pound a week.  Exercise is still a very important part of this as well as modifying behavior and eating habits.  If this is something you are considering, talk to your doctor, explore all the details and make sure you have tried everything else beyond reason prior to taking this step.  It is still surgery and you have to be committed to making changes in your life for it to work.