Bariatric Surgery Should Not be the Last Resort

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Recent data shows that close to 80 million American are obese. Now, considered a chronic disease, obesity is associated with various health conditions and increases one's risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, asthma, osteoarthritis, gall bladder disease, sleep apnea, and some cancers. Aside from these medical issues, obesity also raises psychosocial as well as economic problems. Overweight and Obesity, a Growing Problem Experts define being overweight as having a body mass index (BMI, a measure of body fat) of 25 to 29. 9 kg/m² while obesity is that of having a BMI of more than 30 kg/m² . It is currently estimated that almost 70% of adults are either overweight or obese. Although, the increase in prevalence rates of obesity seems to be slowing down since 2008, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys show that overweight and obesity continues to be a growing problem among some groups of people, including those with low income and less education, and in some ethnic and racial minority groups. Overweight and obesity significantly contribute to the development of chronic diseases and is a major public health problem. Research shows that obesity increases costs of hospitalization and outpatient services. Obese patients usually spend more for medications and doctors visits and it is estimated that in the US, these costs have reached close to $150 billion dollars in 2008. Bariatric Surgery as an Option for Treating Obesity Bariatric surgery is a type of weight loss surgery that has been found to be effective in losing a significant amount of weight in morbidly obese individuals (BMI >40). It has been proven to be safe and effective in improving the heal... ... middle of paper ... ...ous factors, including the patient's choice and a doctor's assessment of the suitability of the procedure for the individual. However, with the many advantages of weight-loss surgery, doctors must consider bariatric surgery as a strong option rather than as a last resort in the treatment of obesity. Works Cited Medpage Today. Endo Type: Use Bariatric Tx to Battle Obesity. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/GeneralEndocrinology/44093 Medpage Today. New Guidelines Urge Docs to Focus on Obesity. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ObesityWeek/42929 Maggard M, Shugarman L, Suttorp M, et al. Meta-Analysis: Surgical Treatment of Obesity. Ann Intern Med. 2005;142(7):547-559. WebMD. Bariatric Surgery Benefits May Outweigh Risks. http://www.webmd.com/diet/weight-loss-surgery/news/20110314/bariatric-surgery-benefits-may-outweigh-risks

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