There are literally tens of millions of people in America who are 100 pounds or more overweight and for whom traditional diets simply don’t work. For these people, surgery to induce weight loss has become an increasingly popular option, but there has been a lot of debate about when such surgery is appropriate. Now, a new study has produce some guidance about who may benefit most from weight-loss surgery.
The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, followed nearly 2,000 obese people for an average of six years. Those who had stomach-shrinking surgery lost about 30 percent of their excess weight, on average, and kept it off for at least four years. People who dieted and exercised on their own, by contrast, lost only about 5 percent of their excess weight and kept off only about one-third of that.
What’s more, the surgery group had significant improvements in cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and diabetes control, compared with the diet-and-exercise group. There were also far fewer new cases of diabetes in the surgery group than in the diet-and-exercise group.
Based on these findings, the guidelines now recommend that surgery be considered for people who are 50 pounds or more above their ideal weight and who have failed to lose weight in other ways. The guidelines also recommend surgery for people who are 35 to 50 pounds above their ideal weight if they have serious weight-related health problems, such as diabetes or sleep apnea.
weight-loss surgery is not for everyone. It’s a serious operation with potential risks and complications. But for people who are severely obese and who have been unable to lose weight any other way, it may be the best option for improving their health and quality of life.
A new study has found that weight-loss surgery is safe and effective for people who are obese and have been struggling to lose weight for at least six years.
The study, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, followed 2,240 people who had weight-loss surgery and found that they not only lost weight, but they also improved their health and quality of life.
Lead author Dr. Caroline Apovian, from the Boston University School of Medicine, said that the findings “support the current guidelines” from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, which recommend weight-loss surgery for people who are obese and have not been able to lose weight through diet and exercise.
The study also found that weight-loss surgery was linked to a reduction in the risk of death from any cause, as well as a reduction in the risk of heart attack, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Apovian said that the findings “support the current guidelines” from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, which recommend weight-loss surgery for people who are obese and have not been able to lose weight through diet and exercise.
