Obesity and diabetes are cured through weight loss surgery
Obesity
Obesity is when the body weight is excessive and beyond the acceptable normal range. The ideal body weight depends on the height. Therefore, body mass index or BMI is strongly endorsed to compare the weights of different people with different heights. The BMI can be calculated using an inline BMI calculator. The calculation divides the weight by the squared height so that we have a number to compare in kg/m2. The ideal range of BMI is 23-25. Most people have a BMI around 28. Effects of obesity occurs after a BMI of 30. We call it morbid obesity if the BMI is 35 or above. Weight loss surgery or bariatric surgery is indicated above a BMI of 35.
Diabetes and Weight Loss Surgery
Weight loss surgery or bariatric surgery is particularly useful for the treatment of diabetes that occurs due to effects of obesity. Therefore many international diabetes guidelines recommend to have weight loss surgery when diabetes occurs in a person with a BMI of 33 or more. The diabetes that occurs in obesity is from insulin resistance. So these people actually have insulin in their bodies but the body cells do not respond to the insulin due to the effects of obesity. Weight loss surgery or bariatric surgery can reverse insulin resistance.
Many guidelines such as the American diabetes association ADA and the NICE guidelines recommend doctors and endocrinologists to expedite the referral of obese diabetes patients to a Bariatric surgeon for weight loss or bariatric surgery. The weight loss surgery will help control the blood sugar and the patient will stop taking diabetes medications or greatly reduced their dosage. This will reduce the risk of diabetes to the health. Weight loss surgery or bariatric surgery is proven to stop the patient from developing diabetes related health complications.
Effects of obesity on body health and weight loss surgery
The effects of obesity are due to the increased weight on the different body organs and also due to the collection of fat within different organs. When fat collects inside the different organs it causes inflammatory changes that leads to different diseases. Weight loss surgery or bariatric surgery can help avoid all these problems that develop from fat deposition.
For instance the fat collects inside the lung tissues that makes it difficult for a person to breathe and also causes them to get short of breath when walking or doing any other physical activity. This causes significant limitation to their abilities to move around. The collection of fat inside the liver causes a disease called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD or NASH) where the fat causes inflammation inside the liver leading to an elevation of liver enzymes.
Weight loss surgery or bariatric surgery can reverse the fatty liver disease (NAFLD or NASH) and make the liver healthy again.
If the weight is not reduced then with time the fat will make changes inside the liver tissue and reduce the function of the liver. This causes poor digestion of the food and elevation in cholesterol levels. This cholesterol leads to blockage of the different blood vessels such as the blood vessels of the heart. The collection of fat around the heart causes inflammation in the heart that also raises the blood pressure. When the blood pressure is elevated and the blood supply to the heart is reduced this increases the risk of heart disease. Weight loss surgery or bariatric surgery has been proven to reduce the risks of heart disease and improve blood pressure.
Collection of fat within the pancreas leads to the development of insulin resistance and type two diabetes. Most of the diabetes in the population is type two diabetes and most of type two diabetes is from effects of obesity. Hence obesity is a major cause of diabetes. And the reason is the development of insulin resistance due to excessive fat accumulation. Weight loss surgery or bariatric surgery does remove the fat from the pancreas making it healthy again.
The increased weight on the different body parts leads to problems such as knee pain low back pains and foot and ankle joint pains. Weight loss surgery or bariatric surgery will greatly relative the joint pains that happen with obesity.
The weight pressure on the neck area leads to compression of the airways during sleep this leads to sleep apnea. People who get difficulty breathing during their sleep have to wear a mask with a machine called a CPAP machine to breathe during their sleep. Weight loss or bariatric surgery is a cure for obstructive sleep apnea or OSA.
Similarly increased weight on the urinary bladder and makes it difficult to control the urine when exerting any pressure. This is called Urinary stress incontinence (USI). Many people suffer from USI. Weight loss surgery or bariatric surgery will cure USI.
The increased fat in the body alters the hormone patterns of the female menstrual cycle leading to infertility and inability to conceive. Obesity is a major cause of infertility from Polyclinic ovarian syndrome or PCOS. It leads to delayed periods with heavy cycles, migraines, facial hair and heavy menstrual bleeding. Weight loss or bariatric surgery is a cure for PCOS that happens from obesity.
Obesity causes pressure on the fallopian tubes which is another reason for infertility. Hence when we treat obesity, all of these diseases are treated. It is very important to treat obesity. Weight loss surgery or bariatric surgery helps to treat obesity and control all these problems.
