Being overweight is something that so many Australians are struggling with. Weight gain is an age-old problem that’s proliferated in modern times, likely due to the abundance of fast foods and processed foods, along with living a sedentary lifestyle.
It doesn’t have to remain a problem though. With some determination to drop the weight and do what’s necessary to achieve your goals, you can get down to your ideal weight range. To help out with this, in this post, we’ll be taking a look at bariatric-surgery, what it is and whether it’s a good option for those of you who are struggling to lose weight.
Young adulthood is a fragile period for weight gain & the health implications of becoming obese during this life-stage is of serious concern. High sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, lower vegetable intake and greater consumption of foods prepared outside the home including fast foods. Each of these eating patterns may place young adults at increased risk of overweight & obesity. The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ national health survey data shows that the number of overweight or obese young adults hit 1 million in 2017-18, or 46 per cent of those aged 18-to-24.
Sometimes you just need that boost to get you started on the pathway to better healthier you, so let’s see what bariatric-surgery has to offer and how it can kick start your weight loss goals.
Bariatric -Surgery Explained
Bariatric-surgery is a specialist field that focuses on weight loss procedures that help speed up the process of losing excess body weight. While eating a balanced and healthy diet combined with regular exercise is always ideal, people who are severely overweight simply may not see sufficient results in a reasonable time frame to stay the course, or be unable to pursue a healthy lifestyle at their current weight.
It takes time to lose weight naturally, even if someone becomes a health fanatic and gym junkie. If you’re 50 kilos overweight, for example, that extra body mass is not going to come off in rapid time. Keep in mind that it’s also very strenuous to do exercise for extended periods whilst lugging around so much extra baggage.
The reason bariatric-surgery is such an incredible option for people who suffer from obesity or are heading towards obesity is that it produces noticeable results in fairly quick time; results that motivate the patient to continue to eat well, exercise and strengthen their resolve.
Some of the bariatric procedures are invasive while others not so much, but all of them are designed to boost weight loss in a major way.
How Bariatric-Surgery Works
The science behind bariatric procedures is based on the fact that if you consume less calories than you burn each day you will lose weight. We’ve likely all heard this before and it’s true. So how does bariatric-surgery help a person consume fewer calories?
By shrinking the capacity of the stomach so a patient physically cannot over-eat.
Pretty simple, really, and that’s the beauty of it.
Let’s list the main bariatric procedures:
- The gastric balloon
- Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty
- Gastric lap-band surgery
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- Gastric bypass surgery
Each of the 5 procedures in the above list promotes weight loss by reducing the stomach’s capacity in one form or another. Some procedures – like lap-band surgery and sleeve gastroplasty – section off the stomach so food ingestion is much slower, while other procedures – such as sleeve gastrectomy – actually remove a large portion of the stomach so it’s physically smaller.
Whichever procedure you opt for, in each case your stomach size will be markedly reduced so you cannot over-eat.
Once the procedure is done, you will start to lose weight due to the fact that you won’t be able to consume large amounts of calories and you’ll feel full very quickly when you do eat. As you notice the weight start to come off, you’ll be motivated to do whatever you can to keep the process going.
Before making up your mind about bariatric-surgery or booking in for a procedure, be sure to first make an appointment with a specialist. They’ll talk you through everything and answer any questions or concerns you may have.
The Wrap
Bariatric-surgery gives you that much-needed kick start and morale boost that sets you off on a great start towards achieving your weight loss ambitions, leading a much healthier and far more energetic lifestyle.
Always stick to a healthy diet and include regular exercise to amplify and speed up the weight loss process.