While there are several medical factors that can determine whether or not you are eligible for weight-loss surgery; if you qualify, your commitment to the long-term weight-loss process will greatly impact the results. You may want to consider some of these issues on your own, but meeting with a weight-loss surgeon will help you gain an understanding of both the procedure and the lifestyle changes required afterwards.

Body mass index

The body mass index (BMI) requirements for weight-loss surgery were originally set by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and have been in place since the 1990s. As a result, weight-loss surgeons will look for patients with a BMI of at least 40 or a body weight at least 100 pounds over ideal weight. Patients with a BMI between 35 and 39 may also be considered for weight-loss surgery if suffering from at least one health condition related to obesity, including, but not limited to, diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, depression and high cholesterol.
BMI is the most commonly used method of determining an individual’s level of obesity. By using theBMI calculator provided by NewHope Bariatrics, you can see where you fall amongst the following BMI classifications:

o Healthy Body Weight - BMI from 18.5 to 24.9

o Overweight - BMI from 25.0 to 29.9

o Obese - BMI from 30 to 34.9

o Severely Obese - BMI from 35 to 39.9

o Morbidly Obese - BMI 40 and above

Failure of traditional weight-loss methods

Before agreeing to operate, weight-loss surgeons also need to determine if their patients have attempted to lose weight on their own. In most cases, surgeons will require that patients have tried traditional diet and exercise regimens prior to considering weight-loss surgery and documented the results. And in some cases weight-loss surgery patients have participated in medically supervised weight-loss programs. Weight-loss surgeons use this information to determine if their patients are committed to weight loss and lifestyle changes.Documentation of weight-loss efforts is also important when approaching the funding of weight-loss surgery. Like weight-loss surgeons, insurance providers typically require prospective patients to provide proof of repeated efforts to lose weight without surgical intervention.

Overall Health and Lifestyle

While there are many health conditions that may increase the urgency of weight-loss surgery, weight-loss surgeons will require all patients to meet certain lifestyle requirements as part of the program. To ensure that patients undergoing weight-loss surgery are able to experience long-term success and improve their overall health, surgeons will look for patients that avoid smoking, drinking and the abuse of drugs. If considering weight-loss surgery, it is important to eliminate these habits prior to beginning the process. After surgery, patients will be expected to avoid smoking and illicit drug use, while alcohol consumption should occur on a limited basis.

Commitment

Lastly, it is very important that all prospective weight-loss surgery patients be committed to permanent lifestyle changes. After ensuring that patients understand both the risks and rewards inherent in weight-loss surgery, some insurance providers will require psychological evaluations. As weight-loss surgery is not a magic bullet to erase obesity, it is important for all patients to understand the role that better eating habits and exercise play in the recovery process. Additionally, most weight-loss surgery procedures will require patients to meet regularly with doctors, attend support groups or meet with medical specialists to help support specific areas of follow-up care. The decision to have weight-loss surgery should not be taken lightly, and hence, doctors and insurance providers will insist that any patient undergoing the procedure is fully committed to each part of the lifelong process.

If you are trying to determine if you are a candidate for weight-loss surgery, you should consider your BMI and your past experiences with traditional weight-loss methods. If you feel you meet the criteria outlined here, you should then carefully consider both the potential benefits and responsibilities of weight-loss surgery. Though you may be unsure if weight-loss surgery is right for you, a consultation with a weight-loss surgeon will provide extensive insight into your condition and information about life after the procedure. In the end, if you are a good candidate for the procedure and feel prepared for the necessary lifestyle changes, weight-loss surgery can be the first important step towards a longer and healthier life.

Carole S. Guinane, a Chief Clinical Officer writes articles about obesity and weight loss for http://www.newhopetoday.com New Hope Today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carole_S._Guinane

Thankfully, you don’t have to. Despite their reputation for helping pack on the pudge (remember Dr. Atkins?), certain carbs can actually help you feel fuller longer and fight fat. The key? Fiber—found in whole grains, oats, certain legumes and even popcorn! When people follow a high-fiber diet—at least 34 grams of fiber a day—they absorb up to 6 percent fewer calories, research shows.

READ MORE at YAHOO HEALTH

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/healthieryou/15578/eat-pasta-drop-pounds/

Today, one year down the road, Linda has lost 140 pounds and gone from a size 24 to a slim size 10. For someone aged 50, this is a remarkable achievement and her story will trully serve as inspiration to many overweight women waiting to take the plunge and lose all that fat.

Click Here to read her diary, complete with all the pictures of the year that changed her life.

Image & Story Source from Daily Mail Online

On top of that, 60 percent say their health worsened during this waiting time period. A few insurance policies demand patients to verify they have attempted going on a diet, physical exercise, medication and psychotherapy. However a lot of policies will not cover these prerequisites.

Read More > Click Here

A higher percentage of severely obese adolescents who received laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding lost more than 50 percent of excess weight and experienced greater benefits to health and quality of life compared to those in an intensive lifestyle management program, according to a study in the 10 February issue of JAMA.

Adolescent obesity is a serious health challenge globally. In the US, more than 17.4%, or more than 5 million adolescents were obese in 2004, an increase from 14.8% in 2000. Obesity is associated with both immediate and late health effects and reduced life expectancy, according to background information in the article. Lifestyle programs that have included changes in diet, exercise, and behaviour to promote weight loss often have poor results. “Bariatric surgery is now extensively used for adults and is being evaluated for adolescents,” the authors write. “Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (gastric banding) has the potential to provide a safe and effective treatment.”

Read More > Virtual Medical Center

The surgical treatment, known as bariatric surgery, is the only effective method for long-term weight loss in severely obese people. Rates of repeat bariatric surgery are reported to range from 5 percent to 56 percent, according to background information in the new study.

In their report, Greek researchers looked at 56 patients who had repeat bariatric surgery between 1995 and 2008. The patients had an average age of 39.6, and an average body mass index (BMI) of 46.9. (BMI is a measurement that takes into account weight and height, and those with a BMI over 30 are considered obese.)

The three main reasons for the “revisional” bariatric surgery were: unsatisfactory weight loss after the initial procedure; severe nutritional complications such as protein malnutrition; and intolerable side effects such as blocking or narrowing of the digestive tract.

The patients were followed-up for an average of 102 months after their revisional surgery. None of them died, but 19 (33.9 percent) had serious complications within one to three months after surgery, including internal leakage from the surgical site, acute kidney failure and pneumonia.

READ MORE AT BUSINESSWEEK

http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/636004.html

U.S. health officials have leveraged the star power of first lady Michelle Obama to roll out a new campaign against obesity, a preventable condition that drains billions of dollars from the economy.

Obama, who plans to take on childhood obesity as a cause, headlined the launch on Thursday of Surgeon General Regina Benjamin’s blueprint for what can be done at home, school and work to reverse the epidemic.

In her first initiative since becoming “America’s doctor,” Benjamin issued a report on the consequences of obesity to start a national dialogue on the subject.

“The number of Americans, like me, who are struggling with their weight and health conditions related to their weight remains much too high,” she said.

Source: Reuters. Read More Here

Leon Flicker of the University of Western Australia, said in a release, “Our study suggests that those people who survive to age 70 in reasonable health have a different set of risks and benefits associated with the amount of body fat to younger people,”

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2010/01/28/overweight-longevity-seniors-australia.html#ixzz0dzlpgtDV

Many ignorant on ‘waist fat’ risk

Almost nine in 10 people are not aware of the risks of carrying extra fat around their waistline.

A survey of 12,000 Europeans found most had no idea that a thick waist was a sign of a build-up of a dangerous type of fat around the internal organs.

The report from GlaxoSmithKline, who make weight loss drug Alli, said this “visceral fat” is strongly linked with type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Most people would lose weight once they found out the risk, the survey found.

Get Alli (60mg) Here

Report author Dr Terry Maguire, honorary senior lecturer at Queen’s University in Belfast, said people did not know that visceral fat, which you cannot see or feel and which sits around the organs in the abdomen, is there or that it poses a problem.

It is thought that the danger of visceral fat is related to the release of proteins and hormones that can cause inflammation, which in turn can damage arteries and enter the liver, and affect how the body breaks down sugars and fats.

Source: Read More At BBC

Calculate your body mass index

Doctors use the body mass index (BMI) as a simple way of assessing whether a patient needs to lose weight. So look at the chart above and find out if your weight is considered OK, Over Weight, Obese or even Clinically Obese.

The calculation is based on comparing a person’s weight with their body height. It applies equally to men and women.

You can quickly see the BMI assessment for your body on the chart above.

Alternatively, you can calculate your own BMI. Divide your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in metres, or divide your weight in pounds by the square of your height in inches, then multiply by 703.

A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight and one of 30 or above is considered obese.

People with BMIs between 19 and 22 live longest. Death rates are noticeably higher for people with indexes 25 and above.

The BMI is not infallible. For instance, it is possible for a healthy, muscular athlete with very low body fat to be classified obese using the BMI formula.

If you are a trained athlete, your weight based on your measured percent body fat would be a better indicator of what you should weigh.

Calculate Your BMI > Click Here

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