Questions and Answers

Gastric Banding Surgery The Pros: • Gastric banding is often a minimally invasive surgery performed with small incisions, a laparoscope (a tiny camera), and special instruments. • There is no need to cut into the stomach or intestine, and recovery is usually faster than with gastric bypass surgery. • The surgery can be reversed by […] Read More

There are two basic types of weight loss surgery – restrictive surgeries and malabsorptive surgeries (and also surgeries that are a combination of both procedures). Each helps with weight loss in different ways. • Restrictive surgeries (like adjustable gastric banding) work by physically restricting the stomach’s size, limiting the amount of solid food you can […] Read More

Studies show that bariatric surgery can improve and resolve many co-morbid conditions. A review of more than 22,000 bariatric surgery patients showed: • Improvement in or complete resolution of conditions including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea; • 61.2% reduction of excess weight.  *Success measured as a loss of 10% of initial body weight. […] Read More

The National Institute of Health states that Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight for both adult men and women. Read More

Weight loss surgery is not for everyone. Doctors generally recommend it only for people who: • Have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more – about 100 pounds overweight for men and 80 for women; • Have a lower BMI (35 to 40), but also have serious health problems related to obesity such […] Read More

In addition to lifestyle and behavioral changes, there are a number of medicines for weight loss, which are FDA-approved and proven to be safe and effective. These treatments have been studied in clinical trials. To find out whether they may be right for you, let your health care provider know you’re interested in starting a […] Read More

Your metabolism can be assessed in 2 ways—while resting and while active. Your resting metabolic rate determines how many calories your body burns when you are not active, and your active metabolic rate determines how your body burns calories while doing strenuous activity. These 2 metabolic rates can be measured by a health care provider. Read More

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), people with a BMI >25 kg/m2 are considered to be overweight, and people with a BMI >30 kg/m2 have obesity. Obesity is a treatable disease associated with excess weight. Obesity can be caused by multiple factors including genetics, appetite signals/hormones, environment, and behavior. Being considered overweight or having […] Read More

Science now shows what many of us have long suspected: after losing weight, our body tries to put it back on. There are many factors that can cause people to gain or regain weight, including genetics, appetite hormones, environment, and behavior. After weight loss, changes in appetite hormones make you feel hungrier, and also slow […] Read More

Ongoing dialogue with a health care provider is a significant part of a long-term weight management plan. He or she can provide new strategies and solutions that you might be interested in trying, including discussing medicines that can help. Read More