Weight loss can be tricky for many people and as such, a number of non-surgical (diet, supplement and lifestyle programmes) and surgical treatments that are designed to help a person to lose a significant amount of weight have been developed. One of the most common forms of weight loss procedures is bariatric surgery, including gastric bypass surgery. However, this surgery comes with a number of risks, including gastric leaking, blood clots and risk of dumping syndrome (food being undigested in the stomach and passing to the intestines too quickly) and it can also be fairly costly. Because of this, a number of alternatives, both in terms of weight loss plans and less invasive surgeries are now becoming more and more popular.
The first line of treatment for any obese person should be to embark on a diet and exercise regime. The safest way to lose weight without any risk of side effects is to restrict your calorie intake through dieting, and to burn off additional calories through exercise. The benefits of losing weight in this way is that it can help you to build lean muscle, and the more lean muscle an individual has, the more calories they burn at rest, helping them to maintain their weight into the future.
Weight loss medication can also be used in morbidly obese individuals. Weight loss medication works by binding fats from your diet and expelling them through your digestive system. Weight loss medication is usually only recommended for short-term use and it tends to come with a number of side-effects, including flatulence, needing to go to the toilet more often and needing to go to the toilet urgently.
Other weight loss programmes combine a system of dietary changes, supplementation, including whole meal supplements, exercise and non-surgical body contouring treatments to achieve an overall and long lasting result for those willing to embark on a complete lifestyle makeover which they must sustain.
Adjustable gastric band surgery is often used as an alternative to gastric bypass surgery, particularly in those who are not morbidly obese, as it is reversible and also involves a much shorter surgery time.
Research has indicated that gastric bypass surgery can produce weight loss more consistently and effectively than gastric band surgery, although this will differ from person to person.
Any weight loss surgery is a big decision and the type of procedure performed will be decided based on which method is most suitable for you. You may choose to embark on a weight loss system or programme before resorting to a surgical solution.
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