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A new study shows 4 of every 10 patients who undergo
weight-loss surgery develop complications within six months,
the federal government said today. The number of these surgical
procedures has been rising rapidly, along with the incidence
of obesity, which now afflicts about 30 percent of adults
in the United States, health officials said.
Obesity surgery is helping thousands of Americans lose weight
and reduce the risk of life-threatening diseases such as diabetes,
but this study shows how important it is for patients to consider
the potential complications.''
"Gastric bypass surgery seems to be very popular these
days, but I hope that people who choose this form of weight
loss will seriously consider the risks", said Mr. Jablonski,
owner and founder of Largeandlovely.com, a dating website
for plus sized singles. "I understand that people choose
this surgery because of a personal choice and losing weight
will reduce the risk of some diseases, but it is such a drastic
measure and complications from the procedure could actually
do more harm than good."
Many of the complications were so serious that patients were
readmitted to hospitals or visited hospital emergency rooms
within six months. In a procedure known as bariatric surgery,
doctors reduce the number of calories that a person can consume
and absorb. One of the more common techniques restricts the
size of the stomach and the length of the intestine, where
nutrients are absorbed.
Mr. Jablonski also stated, "I have always believed in
acceptance of people for who they are and not what they look
like or how much they weigh or have in their bank accounts,
but I also know people have choices." "I just hope
people who choose this procedure do it for themselves, and
not because they are pressured by society to fit in."
The good news is that more than half of the operations are
now done with a technique known as laparoscopic surgery, which
requires only tiny incisions, which sharply reduces some types
of complications. In the cases reviewed by federal researchers,
85 percent of the patients were women. This is attributed
to several reasons: Women have a somewhat higher incidence
of obesity, women seek medical care more than men and obesity
is more socially acceptable in men than in women.
Source:http://presszoom.com/story_117301.html
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