Los Angeles Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery Center

Obesity trends will snuff out health gains from decline in smoking

labariatriccenter — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:14:02 +0000

Researachers from Harvard and MIchigan have concluded that the health consequences of obesity in our population will offset the health gains made by a significant reduction in smoking in our population. The conclusion in this study was that the increase in life expectancy that our population should experience as a result of decreasing smoking behavior, will be reduced because of the dramatic increase in obesity. Alarmingly, if past trends continue, nearly half of our population-45 percent- will be obese by the year 2020.

Increased Risk of Cancer in Obese Women- Bariatric Surgery May Be Protective

labariatriccenter — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:54:26 +0000

A recent study published in the Journal of The American College of Surgeons demonstrated a link between obesity and certain cancers in women. The group from The University of VIrginia concluded that morbidly obese women who had undergone bariatric surgery had less cancers than a similar group of women that had not undergone weight loss surgery. The most common types of cancers found in these morbidly obese women were endometrial (uterine), breast, and ovarian cancers.

Review Favors Bariatric Surgery as Obesity Treatment

labariatriccenter — Thu, 21 May 2009 23:55:23 +0000

The Cochrane Collaboration recently concluded that bariatric surgery is more effective than conventional weight loss management in terms of weight loss, improvement in weight related medical conditions, and in improved quality of life.

The goal of the group’s analysis was to evaluate the effectiveness of various weight loss surgery techniques compared with non-surgical weight loss methods. Included in this comparison were patients who were moderately obese as defined by a body mass index between 30-35. Gastric bypass, adjustable gastric banding (Lap-Band), sleeve gastrectomy and vertical banded gastroplasty procedures were reviewed in this analysis.

The Cochrane Collaboration is an international non-profit organization whose mission is to provide high quality evidence for healthcare decision making around the world.

Obesity Surgery Complications Decline

labariatriccenter — Tue, 12 May 2009 00:10:42 +0000

Obesity surgery-related complications in the United States fell by 21 percent between 2001 and 2006. These dramatic results were based on an analysis of more than 9,500 patients under age 65 who had bariatric surgery between 2001 and 2002 and between 2005 and 2006. This study was done by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The study revealed that complications fell even though there were more older and sicker patients having obesity surgery. During the study period, the proportion of patients over age 50 having obesity surgery increased from 28 percent to 44 percent, and the average number of underlying illnesses — such as diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea — in bariatric surgery patients more than doubled. The three main factors found to be significant causes of the decline in complications among obesity surgery patients include: increased use of laparoscopic approach, which allows surgeons to operate through small incisions; increased use of banding procedures such as lap band; and increased surgeon experience.

Teen Obesity Risks-As lethal as smoking?

labariatriccenter — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:21:01 +0000

A dramatic study, published in the British Medical Journal, revealed that teens with obesity had a similar risk of premature death as those who smoked half a pack of cigarretes a day. In this study, nearly 46,000 Swedish men were followed over 38 years. The men who were obese at age 18 were two times more likely to die by age 60 compared to men who were of normal weight. This was about the same risk faced by the normal weight men who smoked half a pack of cigarettes or more a day.

Given that smoking is known to be the most important cause of preventable death, it is quite dramatic that obesity is apparently as lethal.

ADA Recognizes Bariatric Surgery

labariatriccenter — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 21:55:24 +0000

There has been a glaring omission in the Clinical Practice Recommendations of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), until now. Despite numerous studies over the past decade that have shown how effective weight loss surgery is in managing diabetes, surgery has not been included in the ADA recommendations. This changed in Jan. 2009 when a section on bariatric surgery was added to the “Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes.” The ADA recommendations were consistent with NIH guidelines that adults with BMI greater than 35 and type 2 diabetes should be considered for weight loss surgery.

This recognition is long overdue and finally brings the ADA in line with well designed studies published in both surgical and medical literature.