Is Weight Loss Surgery worth it?

Weight loss surgery is a growing new trend – called
gastrointestinal surgery, this procedure has been around since
the late 1950′s but has grown in popularity in recent years.
Essentially, the stomach is drastically reduced in size using
various techniques.

After this reduction, the person is unable to eat that much at a
time – this can result in dramatic weight loss, usually
averaging about twenty percent in the next two years. But the
big question is, is it worth it? There are significant health
costs associated with both being obese and with having the
surgery. On the one hand, being obese can cause you to have
serious heart problems along with health problems in general. On
the other, there is a significant risk of death associated with
even having the weight loss surgery – the older you get, the
higher it is. This doesn’t even account for the risk of
non-fatal side effects, such as infection, vomiting, ulcers, and
nutrient deficiency. Many of these don’t even occur until ten
years or so after the surgery. Ultimately, the health risks
probably aren’t worth it – no matter how much you weigh, there
are other, less invasive ways to get rid of the weight. People
try to rationalize the surgery as getting rid of the health
problems of obesity, but these are gradual and often can be
avoided with regular exercise, even if you remain obese despite
the workout. You need to take a good, hard look at the reasons
why you are getting this surgery. For most people, despite what
they say about the health risks of obesity, the real reason is
vanity: they just can’t take being overweight anymore. This just
isn’t a good reason to risk your life on a surgery like this -
you can get the same benefits through diet and hard work, or you
can try to work through the self esteem problems with a
therapist or friends. You’re going to have problems either way,
but it’s about choosing which ones are the least threatening.

1. Prev:All Diets Work, No Diets Work
2. Next:Dieters : There are No second helpings in Life