Is it reduction in Kilograms ONLY?
Overweight & obese individuals have four choices Accept their weight as such with additional diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure , joint pains ,infertility etc.
Change their diet & physical activity levels
Use weight loss medication
Weight loss (bariatric) surgery
Poor results, high risk & relatively high costs are the main reasons for failure of medical therapy(1,2& 3) of obesity whereas weight loss surgical procedures despite their complex nature have most reliable & successful outcome (proved by different scientific studies).
But down the line with time , there is change in thinking as strong benefits were observed with these surgeries in terms of associated diabetes, high blood pressure , dyslipedemia including reduction in mortality(death rate).
These issues were addressed decisively in one of the very famous SOS study (swedish obesity study) 2007 , in which 4000 people were divided into two groups either for medical treatment or by surgical treatment for obesity which { popularly called weight loss or bariatric surgery} includes, GASTRIC BYPASS, SLEEVE GASTRECTOMY & GASTRIC BANDING.
This study proved significantly 30 % reduction in mortality in surgically treated group. Beside this, cure / improvement were seen in their diabetes , high blood pressure also including their life style .Many more scientific studies have also shown & confirmed these improvements in these associated diseases in obese people after( bariatric) obesity surgeries.
So now there is shift in bariatric surgery ( weight loss) perception ,which is not only recommended for weight loss but also for cure/ improvement of these associated diseases with obesity esp. Diabetes type 2.Even in non obese people who have poor control of their diabetes, surgical interventions has been tried with good results. So one should not think only of reduction in body weight in terms of kilograms but should keep in mind about cure/ improvement in diabetes , high blood pressure, infertility,reduction in mortality also, which in my view are very much added benefits of these surgeries.
