What is Bariatric Surgery : Read More

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More than 60 percent of the U.S. population is overweight and about 30 percent is classified as being obese. In recent years society has shown increased awareness of the need for the treatment and prevention of obesity. People all over the world are turning to trendy exercise routines, fad diets, pills or supplements and even hypnotism to battle this problem. There have even been a number of lawsuits involving people who are obese suing fast food restaurants.

Their claim is that the fast food industry entices them to eat at their establishment but offers no healthy alternatives to the standard high fat menu items. As a result, many restaurants have altered their menus by adding low carb and low fat items. Admittedly all of these efforts have made an impact, however, there are still a number of people who've had little or no success using these methods. Advances in technology and modern medicine have given those people a chance to have a longer and healthier life. Morbid obesity is a disease of excess energy stores in the form of fat.

This biologically based disease goes beyond a simple disorder of willpower. People who suffer from morbid obesity endure physical and emotional trauma on a daily basis. Aside from poor self- image and self-esteem, a person who is severely obese is also more likely to suffer many chronic health problems such as; cardiac dysfunction, pulmonary problems, digestive diseases, and endocrine disorders as well as, obstetric, orthopedic, and dermatological complications.

In today's health conscience society, people suffering from this illness are constantly reminded of their problem and ultimately their inability to overcome this disease. Lack of respect and compassion for the morbidly obese is also an issue of concern. Widespread attitudes that severely obese individuals are weak willed, ugly, awkward, self- indulgent and immoral contributes to the risk of a morbidly obese individual developing anxiety and substance abuse disorders.

It is now widely accepted among those in the medical field that morbid obesity is a medical condition that requires treatment. In fact, it was recently announced that Medicare would remove barriers to covering anti-obesity treatments. This disease represents a management challenge for physicians and a psychological and biological challenge for those suffering from this disease.

Published scientific reports show that non-operative methods have not been effective in achieving significant long-term weight loss in severely obese individuals. Dietary weight loss plans often cause depression, anxiety, irritability, weakness and preoccupation with food. For those individuals who have tried and failed to lose weight using non-operational methods, there is hope for a longer, healthier life.