What is Obesity – Obesity is an excess of total body fat which increases the body weight and results in major health risks.

How can one identify he/she is obese? A measurement Body Mass Index is used to check whether he/she is obese and the type of obesity they are suffering from. BMI value can be checked with help of BMI calculator

What are the types of Obesity – obesity can be classified based on the body mass index value.

BMI value < 18.5 Underweight

BMI value between 18.5 – 25 – Normal weight

BMI value between 25.0 – 30 – Overweight

BMI value greater than 30 – Obese

BMI value greater than 35 – Severe Obesity

BMI value greater than 40 – Morbid Obesity

BMI value greater than 50 – Super obese

What are the causes of obesity – Obesity can be caused by various factors. It can be caused due to eating disorders, the psychological factors affecting you or it may be inherited from your parents.

Obesity Treatment – Is there possibilities to treat obesity. What are risks involved with the treatment?

Obesity can be treated either non-surgically or surgically. Non-surgical options include diet, exercise. A new non-surgical treatment has evolved in recent years Bioenterics Intragastric Balloon. (www.bibasia.info)

There are also surgical options available to treat obesity. Obesity patients who have already tried with diet, exercise and failed to lose weight consider weight loss surgery as their last resort.

Check www.ossanz.com.au/obesity.asp to learn more

Obesity Surgery Society

Obesity Surgery Society of Australia & New Zealand (www.ossanz.com.au) providing the highest quality obesity services in Australia and New Zealand with its highly qualified bariatric weight loss surgeons.

OSSANZ started by professionals who are interested in morbid obesity treatment and were involved in many research projects for developing this type of surgery. With around 15 bariatric and weight loss management professionals OSSANZ has been striving for the advancement of the obesity surgery and management.

OSSANZ is involved with a medical research – “SELF-PERCEPTIONS AND PHYSICAL WELL-BEING AMONG LAP BAND PATIENTS”

OSSANZ educates people on obesity, causes of obesity and the surgical options available to treat obesity.

Obesity is emerging as a health epidemic around the world. The death rate of obesity and overweight is increasing. Obesity patients are trying to find out the best remedy for their health issues. Obesity surgery is considered as the last resort for overweight. Not all obesity patients are treated surgically. Patients who have their body mass index value > 40 (Morbidly obese) are treated with obesity surgery.

Though there are more types of obesity surgery to lose weight like gastric bypass, Bilio pancreatic diversion, tube gastrectomy obesity patients prefer Laparoscopic gastric banding surgery (Lap band system) since it is minimally invasive procedure and is the only reversible weight loss surgery.

www.ossanz.com.au website helps you to search obesity surgeons, lap band surgeons in Australia and New Zealand

Lap-band adjustable gastric banding is the latest entrant that’s been approved by the FDA in 2001 in the sphere of surgical treatment for morbid obesity.

This obesity surgery is a non-permanent weight loss treatment that has become a popular option for people suffering from clinically severe obesity. It is also called gastric banding, involves creating a smaller stomach chamber. Unlike gastric bypass, this operation is easily reversible, a distinct advantage for prospective patients concerned about the possible side effects of bariatric surgery.

The good thing about this operation is that it does not involve any cutting or stapling of the stomach. In addition, it can be adjusted to the patient’s need after surgery without any operation. For patients requiring more nutrition, like pregnant women, they can have their bands loosened. For patients who are not adequately benefitting can have their gastric bands tightened. Lap Band obesity surgery is the only adjustable surgical treatment available in the United States as of now.

The device used is made out of Silastic, a type of plastic that does not react with internal body tissues. An inflatable tube is located inside the band; when inflated with an injection of saline solution, the tube provides adjustable gastric banding. The reservoir used for injecting solution is implanted under the skin during gastric Lap Band obesity surgery. A bariatric surgeon can adjust the tube at a later date by injecting or removing saline solution.

As with any medical procedure, Lap Band obesity surgery results vary from patient to patient and depend on several factors. Two of the major benefits of this band surgery are 1)successful, safe, and effective weight loss and 2)freedom from many obesity-related health problems.

Other benefits that are specific to gastric surgery includes: minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery, stomach remains intact, no stomach stapling, normal intestinal function, adjustable gastric band, fully reversible procedure, relatively short recovery. Risks and complications of band surgery may include: stomach wall deterioration, formation of ulcers, vomiting, heartburn, gas bloat, and difficulty in swallowing.

Like gastric bypass surgery, it reduces the size of the stomach and allows patients to feel full after consuming very little food. Bariatric surgeons generally prefer the this procedure as it involves less discomfort and a shorter recovery period.

Still, Lap Band obesity surgery, is not completely without risk even though it is considered the safest of surgeries for obesity. The device may require repair and time consuming additional minor operations, and weight loss is very dependent on longterm follow-up visits. Plus, certain foods may never be well tolerated by patients.

Obesity is a serious problem, whatever age you are, and whatever stage you are in your life. For this reason it is important that obesity is not ignored but addressed as soon as possible so that people can enjoy their life for the full with as few physical ailments as possible.

Obesity is the bane of the modern ‘fast food’ world. Obesity surgery is an answer to all the ‘weighty issues’ faced by an individual. In tune with the times, it is a quick answer, to a problem that otherwise could take years to be solved.

As the name suggests, obesity surgery, is a surgical procedure that enables a person to lose weight. It is specifically for those people, who have just about tried everything, to lose weight or tried hard to maintain their weight loss but failed in all their attempts. Though obesity is relatively harmless, as compared to other medical conditions, it does lead to health problems in the long run and decreases a person’s life expectancy. For these reasons, weight reduction assumes paramount importance.

A person should ideally go for obesity surgery, if he/she suffers from morbid obesity. Morbid obesity is a condition wherein individuals have a body weight that is 50 to 100% above what is measured by the Body Mass Index (BMI). The BMI is calculated taking into consideration a persons weight in relation to his/her height. In medical parlance, a BMI between 30-40 is considered obese and that lying over 40 is considered morbidly obese.

At times obesity manifests itself in cycles. A person can drastically reduce weight and in a little time might just gain weight drastically. This is why new, improved and innovative weight reduction measures are being introduced and among these is, obesity surgery. Obesity surgery is not as drastic a measure as many people believe it to be. An invasive medical procedure has some amount of associated risks, as is the case with obesity surgery. However, there are numerous bariatric surgeons, who are experts in this type of surgery. Coupled with state-of-the-art hospitals and medical clinics, the complications are minimized to a great extent.

Many regard obesity surgery as a quick fix solution, but nothing can be farther from the truth. It is a comprehensive procedure that also includes, among other things, superior support and services of other medical professionals like dieticians and psychologists. The treatment plan is drawn out over a long period of time. Obesity surgical procedure involves the placement of the gastric band in the upper portion of the stomach. This limits an individual’s intake of food. This is accomplished by using what is known as laproscopic surgery also known as keyhole surgery. This gastric band or the lap band is adjustable in nature and if need be, can be removed altogether.

The post-operative care includes an overnight stay in the hospital, following the operation. It also includes regular consultations with health care professionals, who will counsel you regarding the subsequent life style changes that a person needs to adapt to.