Many people feel like having weight loss surgery is like giving up or admitting to failure.
But it’s not. In fact, bariatric surgery is the most effective weight loss solution for morbid obesity, according to the National Institute for Health.
Living with conditions that often accompany obesity -- like Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease -- can often lead to death. Instead of a last option, weight loss surgery may be your best choice.
Baptist Center for Bariatric Surgery offers the three most common types of weight loss surgery, which include the gastric banding, gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy.
On “River City Live,” we spoke with a married couple who underwent bariatric surgery.
Wayne and Tiffany Cain, both 51, said they had fought their weight together for years. Both were considered obese, according to their BMIs.
After trying every weight-loss solution possible and learning that they both had dangerously high blood sugar levels (Wayne was pre-diabetic and Tiffany was diabetic), they decided that weight loss surgery was their best option. They both had sleeve gastrectomies on Nov. 4, 2020, performed by Dr. Hodgett, just a few hours apart.
With a sleeve gastrectomy, the stomach size is reduced by about 80%, leaving a banana-shaped sleeve. The portion of the stomach producing the hormone (ghrelin) that causes feelings of hunger is removed, according to Baptist Health.
Since the surgery, they each have lost 62 pounds so far. They both participate in the monthly support group for Baptist Bariatric surgery patients to help keep them on track with their nutrition and weight loss goals. Their lifestyle has changed dramatically – eating a healthy diet and walking three miles a day. Neither of them have high blood sugar levels anymore.
You can find out more by attending a free seminar or viewing a webinar online. To hear from the Cains, watch the video, above.