Obesity – what next?

A new report from the Obesity Health Alliance has stated that in the next 20 years there will be 7.6 million new cases of diabetes, cancer, stroke and heart disease as a direct result of an increase in obesity numbers.

Currently three out of 10 adults are obese; this is set to rise to around four in 10 by 2035, meaning that 76% of men and 69% of women will be overweight – a total of 40 million adults in the UK.

The Obesity Health Alliance is urging the Government to publish its childhood obesity strategy as soon as possible to help tackle the obesity epidemic. Any steps that can be taken to help reduce future impact is important but what are your options if you are obese?

As the research shows there is a strong link between weight increase and serious, potentially life-threatening diseases (comorbidities), therefore it is important that you speak to your doctor.

Using the BMI calculation your doctor will make an assessment on your weight and whether further tests are required. These tests may identify if you have any comorbidities. If any conditions are found your doctor will be able to discuss the best way to manage them.

Your GP will probably ask about your current eating patterns, exercise, what you have already tried in order to lose weight and what success you had from these. The GP will also discuss possible treatment options or changes that might help you lose weight.

One of those options could be weight loss (bariatric) surgery. There are many benefits from bariatric surgery but like any surgery it does carry risks as well. It is important that you discuss these with your GP and or a specialist bariatric consultant.

Some benefits of weight loss surgery include:

Weight loss

Of course one of the main benefits is weight loss, the amount depends on your lifestyle, eating behaviours and how you work with the procedure. The three main types of surgeries are; gastric band, gastric bypass and gastric sleeve. Your consultant will be able to help you identify which surgery will suit you best. There are a number of factors that will impact the final decision.

Improved health

The steady weight loss experienced after surgery can improve a number of comorbidities. Recent research showed that in some cases after weight loss surgery patients found that they no longer needed to take their medication for type 2 diabetes.

Better life expectancy

There have been a number of studies that show weight loss surgery helped to improve life expectancy.

If you are considering bariatric surgery it is important to ensure you have the surgery that suits you. Here at Streamline Surgical we provide life changing weight loss surgery. Bariatric surgery isn’t simply about losing weight.

Call 0800 157 7033 today to book a free consultation with our world-class surgeons to find out more about weight loss surgery and the options available to you.