Posted on 11/20/2004 3:02:18 PM PST by The Loan Arranger
High blood pressure and other ills also improved by operation. Obesity surgery helps patients do more than shed weight — it often cures their diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, researchers say.
The research — an analysis of 136 studies — found that such operations are more than cosmetic. They appear to alter the patient’s body chemistry itself and eliminate or relieve conditions that can lead to heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure.
The analysis was funded by a Johnson & Johnson Co. subsidiary that develops and markets surgical instruments, including staplers for obesity surgery. But the results echo what many doctors have reported seeing.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Isn't "obesity surgery" a procedure that creates a smaller stomach? If so, that would create a lesser intake of food, hence the weight loss.
If that is the case, the lesser intake of food would also mean less intake of the food that contribute to diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.
Sorry, I'm skeptical of this.
My 12 year old daughter is being tested for Early Onset Obesity MC4R. She has been obese since two weeks of age. No real turnoff valve...always hungry. I had been her turnoff valve for most of her life. When I had to leave for work and could not monitor she gained over 100 pounds. It is tragic to see such an active and beautiful child incapacitated by obesity.
BTW we have no tv, no snacks, whole foods, we were vegans but now eat meat, and lead active lives. she cannot join in anymore.
If it is the MC4R she may join an experimental drug grouop or have surgery.
They are also avoiding milk to avoid difficulties with milk sugar. Frightening lectures about mercury in fish scare people away from that source of Vitamin D.
The researchers estimated that getting the right level of Vitamin D into older people, their ability to both produce and metabolize insulin could be increased 60%, which is a higher level possible with the use of the new diabetes medications.
All I have to do to improve my insulin levels and metabolize that insulin is do a series of gut-bending exercises for 15 minutes or so. This article focuses on precisely that part of the body. There's probably something to it.
You are aware that some of the people who do these study consider anyone who is thicker than skin and bones to be obese.
Wonder if that's related to why pear-shaped folks do better than the apple-shaped? Less weight around the gut.
"That may be because such operations alter the intestinal hormones"
Not because a person eats less.
It's probably more likely that the dietary restraints that are required post-surgery restrict the level of carbs and sugars that can be taken in. The effect is the same as a diabetic going on a reasonably low-carb diet, blood sugar can be maintained at normal or near-normal levels. (I know, because that is how I regulate my blood sugar)
While gastric bypass does make the patients smaller, the real benefit of the surgery is the bypass of the small intestine from the stomach - known as malabsorbtion.
This bypass of the small intestine has two effects. One, it limits the amount of calories (and unfortunately nutrients) the body can absorb, it also prevents the patient from eating very high sugar/high carb foods in large quantities at all.
Btw, in most procedures, the stomach does stretch over time until the person can eat a small/normal size meal. Think the actual size of a serving per package directions.
I agree. I was considering this operation, and when I looked into it and decided it was not for me. It did kick my butt though to lose the weight the old fashioned way. I lost 120 pounds and believe me, it's going to stay off!!
I know there are people who medically need this surgery, but I think it's being abused. I meet lots of diabetics at the place where I work (where I also lost my weight) who are trying to have a healthier life style. It's so rewarding to eventually hear some of them say, "My doctor said I'm not a diabetic anymore!"
This being the case, I can see where removing large amounts of body fat would be a giant step in the right direction. Removing as much sugar and insulin as possible, along with the resultant fat, would be a great boon to individuals with sugar-metabolism problems.
Was she ever involved in any athletic activity?
Formally in Track,Field (she holds the shotput record in our state for nine year olds) , ballet, soccer, basketball, plus the usual sledding bikeing swinging and hiking that all other kids do.
She had to stop becasue her growing legs could not handle the weight.
The person who performed these inspections typically came in around 4:00 A.M. to do the testing before the day's real business started.
One morning I came to work at 8:00A.M. and found the duty mechanic in my office waiting on me; he told me that one of the smaller units wouldn't shut down after the test and throwing the proper switches.
I jumped in the station Jeep with him and went to the site to find this 4 cylinder diesel engine idling away with all of the controls in the "Off" position; I switched it back to run and it came back up to speed and registered voltage output.
I then cycled it back to "Standby" and watched while the voltmeter dropped, the engine came down to low idle and just chugged along.
I finally concluded that the fuel-injection pump wasn't shutting off and ran back to the shop and grabbed a tire repair "boot" (a 10" diameter piece of rubber) carried it back to the engine room and placed it directly over the throat of the air intake.
The engine, now deprived of oxygen, dutifully died.
I called the electricians back out to repair the control wiring and went about my regular day.
I work with a woman who's sister almost died after the surgery...another woman had it, lost weight, but had bizarre TIAs that kept her off work for 6 weeks.
We will see the results of the MC4R testing and if it is the culprit, then the clinical trials of the new meds...if appropriate. If surgery is the better option we will do it.
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