Bariatrics is the branch of medicine which deals with obesity: the causes, prevention and treatment of. The goal is to be able to supply overweight people with diet and nutrition programs, exercises and lifestyle change recommendations to help keep their weight down. When necessary, appetite suppressants and other medications may be prescribed. Yet one of the most requested treatments is bariatric surgery.
There are several different types of weight-loss procedures available with the most popular being Roux-en-Y surgery, commonly known as stomach stapling. But before deciding if you want to proceed with a weigh-loss operation, there are many factors to discuss with your doctor.
For starters, there is a difference between being overweight and suffering from obesity. Being overweight is considered having a total body weight over the recommended for ideal health. It is not necessarily unhealthy, though it is becoming a trend in America. Obesity is much more severe and can lead to serious health problems.
You cannot just walk in and demand to have any type of weight-loss procedure done to you; there are certain qualifications. The basic criteria are as follows:
- Must have a body-weight 100lbs. or more over your ideal body weight.
- Must have a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater that 40 or greater than 35 with medical complications directly resulting from your weight.
- Must have a attempted to try non-surgical options such as supervised diets and exercise programs.
- No indication of psychological disorder or alcohol abuse.
One needs to also take into consideration the cost of such a procedure. The different operations vary in price, ranging roughly from $10,000 - $40,000. Depending on how necessary the surgery is (determined on your initial visit to your doctor) your insurance plan may or may not cover some of the costs. Costs associated with such procedures include not only the surgery itself, but post-operation costs and check-ups. With the costs and risks of such surgery, the decision to get the operation should not be made lightly. It is designed for those whose weight causes a risk to their health and have no other option. If you are looking at bariatric surgery as a quick fix, or because you don’t want to put in the work to get thin, please reconsider.
Greg Mauro is a staff author for Weight Loss Issues as well as Help For Health and its conglomerate sites.
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Gastric Bypass Surgery is growing in popularity. It is important that anyone who is considering this type of surgery to insure that they are ready for both the physical stresses of it as well as the mental challenge it presents. Gastric bypass surgery is a way for doctors to help treat morbid obesity. For those individuals who have serious health problems that are brought on or made worse by their weight, this surgery can be the difference in life and death. Here are some details and things to keep in mind when considering gastric bypass surgery.
First of all, it isn’t for everyone. In fact, you must be above 40 BMI in order to qualify. Some doctors will go as low as 35, though. BMI stands for Body Mass Index. This is a system that is used to compare and understand the effects of weight on human bodies as compared to their height. We know that a person with a BMI between 35 and 40 is considered morbidly obese, but that doesn’t mean someone should be very low either. There is a balance in which the body simply needs to have a certain level of fat. This is a controversial understanding in most cases. Nevertheless, this is an indicator that a person is a candidate for gastric bypass surgery.
In most cases, individuals who are candidates for gastric bypass are 100 pounds or more overweight. But, just being overweight by a certain amount is not the only thing that is considered. Individuals who would like to be considered for this weight loss will in fact need to go through a battery of mental testing. For those who eat because of emotions, gastric bypass is likely to fail. The first steps for these individuals is dealing with their specific eating disorder first. When they are successfully through them, they may then be considered a candidate. It is important to understand that once the surgery is complete, if a person can not commit to specific changes, they will not succeed at losing weight and can complicate the surgery’s outcome. Many times patients will be required to diet and exercise during a period of time prior to becoming a candidate. So, what does happen during this surgery?
During the procedure, the doctor will create a pouch out of the stomach. They will take the stomachs normal size and reduce it to mere 1-2 fluid ounces or between 30-60 mL. This is a drastically smaller size. They will lower the stomachs capacity by connecting the pouch to a point midway to the small intestine. The larger remaining pouch will be kept within the body and will be connected farther down the small intestine so that it can remain a producer of gastric juices that aid in digestion. Gastric bypass surgery does require an incision of six to eight inches. In some cases, several smaller incisions will be used instead.
What is the goal of gastric bypass surgery?
The whole point of this surgery is to limit the amount of food that a person can take in and to shorten the digestive track to allow for fewer calories to be absorbed within a person’s body. By limiting the amount of food a person can consume, they greatly reduce the amount of calories being consumed and therefore force the body to use stored fat instead. This surgery is called restrictive because it reduces your intake of foods and malabsorptive because it reduces the amount of food that can be absorbed into the body.
Most of the time, gastric bypass surgery is successful. In 2% of patients, though, it is fatal. One percent is due to complications during surgery. In many cases, the heart is already weakened from having to pump so vigorously to handle the extra weight or complications from other diseases may cause death as well during surgery. The other one percent will come within one month or so after the surgery is done. In these cases, it is often due to patients not restricting themselves properly. Patients who have this surgery will no longer be able to eat foods that are high in sugar or fat. The body can likely not handle these fast absorbing foods within their bodies.
If you would like to be considered for gastric bypass surgery, you will need to see your doctor and tell him about your situation. Not all insurance companies within the United States will actually cover this surgery unless there is medical evidence that your weight is attributing to your health. You will go through a battery of tests to determine your circumstances and to find out if you do indeed qualify. It is a life changing experience, but it is one that needs to be thoroughly thought out.
For more information about gastric bypass visit http://www.gastric-bypass-surgery-info.com/. You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice, link and URL remain intact.
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This time of year we need to enjoy warm comforting food that is quick and convenient to prepare, while being nutritious and delicious. Meatball soups are a great way for weight loss surgery (WLS) patients to enjoy a nutritious tasty meal with easily digested protein. Here are two very good quick soup recipes that take advantage of pantry staples and ready-made fully cooked chicken meatballs from the freezer. Enjoy!
Chicken-Meatball Mexican Soup
Ingredients:
1 package fully cooked chicken meatballs (from the freezer case)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 (4-ounce) can green chilies, chopped
2 (15-ounce) cans Italian-style stewed tomatoes, chopped, reserving the juice
8 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot sauce or to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Garnish:
Chopped cilantro
low-carb tortilla strips
Avocado cubes
Sour cream
Pickled Jalapeno
Monterey Jack cheese
Preheat oven to 425. Arrange meatballs in single layer on a cooking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes.
While meatballs bake heat olive oil in a 4-6 quart stockpot. Brown onion and garlic. To the onions add the green chilies, stewed tomatoes, chicken stock, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce.
Simmer the soup for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the cooked meatballs and bring soup back to a simmer. Serve soup with garnishes.
WLS patients should eat 3-5 meatballs topped with a modest serving of liquid.
5 meatballs contain 13g protein, 11g fat (3 saturated), 6 grams carbs.
Chicken Meatball and Ravioli Soup
Ingredients:
1 package fully cooked chicken meatballs (from the freezer case)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion finely chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1 (28 ounce) can chopped tomatoes (undrained)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 (32 ounce) container Swanson chicken broth
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon each dried thyme and oregano
8 ounces mini cheese-filled ravioli
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 425. Arrange frozen meatballs in single layer on a cooking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes.
While meatballs bake heat olive oil in a 4-6 quart stockpot. Brown onion and garlic.
Add tomatoes and liquid, tomato paste, broth, water, sugar, basil, thyme and oregano. Bring mixture to a simmer, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add ravioli and cook, covered at a gentle boil according to package directions (approximately 10 to 15 minutes), until they are just tender and no longer have a starchy taste. Stir in meatballs and return to simmer. Stir in parsley and sprinkle with cheese.
Serve warm.
WLS patients should eat 3-5 meatballs topped with a modest serving of ravioli and liquid.
5 meatballs contain 13g protein, 11g fat (3 saturated), 6 grams carb
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LivingAfterWLS
LivingAfterWLS Blog
Tags: cooking, flavor, gastric bypass, healthy, high protein, nutrition, recipes, soup, weight loss surgery, wlscooking, flavor, gastric bypass, healthy, high protein, nutrition, recipes, soup, weight loss surgery, wlsShare This