Facts On Weight Loss Marlborough MA Residents Should Understand

By Anthony Mitchell


The need for losing weight has been with man for many centuries. The oldest methods that have been used have mainly involved making changes on lifestyle behaviors related to diet and physical activity. Although these methods are effective in the majority of people, they tend to take fairly long to produce the desired effects. There are several things on weight loss Marlborough MA residents need to understand if struggling with this problem.

The common practice is to start with the lifestyle options before moving on to the more aggressive surgical options. Dietary changes that can be made include a reduction in the amount of protein and carbohydrate and an increase in the amount of fruits and vegetables. Strive to cut down on the number of servings per meal progressively. Smaller meals taken more frequently are more helpful than larger meals taken a few times.

The next area of the lifestyle that should be addressed is physical exercise. Exercise is needed to burn excess calories from eaten food which prevents its conversion to adipose tissue. If you have not been exercising, you can start slowly with regular light jogging or brisk walking and increase the intensity steadily over time. The target should be engaging in at least 30 minutes of intense physical activity on 3 to 5 days in a week.

Surgery is used if the lifestyle methods are ineffective. Weight loss surgeries are broadly referred to as bariatric operations. The extent varies depending on the magnitude of the problem and the desired change. The surgeries that are commonly performed include lap band gastric surgery, sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass surgery. In some cases, surgery may be considered from the very beginning such as when serious complications have arisen from excess weight.

Among the three, lap-band surgery is the commonest. Lap band surgery is conducted using a specialized instrument known as a laparoscope that allows for the use of small incisions. Smaller incisions mean that the risk of complications is significantly reduced. To achieve the desired effect, a silicon band is placed on a part of the stomach where it causes compression and reduces the stomach volume. The result of this is a reduction in the amount of food that one can eat during one meal.

Sleeve gastrectomy is similar to lap band surgery in many respects. For instance, they both result in a significant reduction in the size of the stomach and both cause reduced food intake. The main difference between them is that lap-band surgery, unlike sleeve gastrectomy, is reversible. Sleeve gastrectomy involves the surgical resection of a large part of the stomach (up to 80%) leaving a small tubular structure.

There are a number of cosmetic surgical operations that may also help in weight reduction. Tummy tuck is among those that have been very beneficial. It involves the removal of excess fat found in the abdominal wall (tummy) and tightening the skin simultaneously. Another important surgery in this category is liposuction which involves the removal of fat in different body parts such as buttocks, thighs, the neck and the abdominal wall.

It is important to remember that losing weight is not an event. Rather, it is a process that takes weeks, months or even years in some cases. Using more than one approach concurrently increases the chances of success. Surgery should be reserved for the most severe cases. Such will include patients that have or are at a very high risk of developing weight related complications such as gastro-esophageal reflux disease, hypertension, diabetes and sleep apnea.




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