Weight Loss Surgery as a Dieting Tool
For many people who have dieted their whole life, weight loss surgery is merely a part of their weight loss journey. Many commit to a lifestyle change when weight loss surgery is scheduled because the experience is more real. Not only do many have to lose so much weight before surgery, but it also means that the process is beginning and major changes need to be made to continue weight loss after the surgery occurs. According to ABC News, there are many weight loss surgery myths that should be debunked. Here are some of our favorites!
Myths Surrounding Weight Surgery
Gastric bypass surgery is performed on patients who are excessively overweight. There are many myths surrounding weight surgery in obese patients. One of the most common ones is that the person enduring bariatric surgery is finding the easiest solution to their problem. This is simply not true because gastric bypass surgery is only the first step in weight loss.
Another myth about this type of surgery is that it is the only thing people need to do to lose excess weight and keep it off. Gastric bypass surgery only takes off about 60% of the weight most obese patients want to lose. Bariatric surgery is a lifelong commitment and a person will not keep the weight off if they don’t continue to make healthy food choices and remain active.
Diabetics and Weight Loss Surgery
Another myth involved diabetes. Many feel that if they are diabetic they cannot have bariatric surgery. The truth is patients with type-2 diabetes are much more likely to go into remission. Oftentimes taking the weight off helps one’s diabetic situation tremendously and many patients endure bariatric surgery because of their diabetes diagnosis.
Weight Loss Surgery For Cosmetic Reasons
The myth that gastric bypass surgery is cosmetic is also not true. Most people who undergo this type of surgery do so because their excess weight is putting their lives in danger. Gastric bypass surgery is closely related to metabolism. It can also serve as a treatment for sleep apnea, hypertension, and high blood pressure.
Keeping the Weight Off
The remaining myth about gastric bypass surgery is that once a patient has undergone the surgery they will never gain back the weight the surgery took off. It is likely that most people who have this surgery will gain back some of the weight they lost as a result. This is because oftentimes people do not change their eating habits despite the surgery they had.
The reason gastric bypass surgery is so effective is that it has a direct effect on the hormones that tell a person when they are actually hungry. Weight loss surgery lowers the level of hormones in the person’s body so they won’t be as hungry as they would have been otherwise. This helps the individual to lose weight.