Is Weight Loss Surgery the Easy Way Out?

Sadly, many patients postpone their decision to have weight loss surgery because they or others may believe that it is the easy way out and diet and exercise is the only way to lose weight. Sadly, this is far from the truth. In fact, approximately 90 to 95% of patients who follow a diet and exercise regimen alone are able maintain their results over the long term. The other 90 to 95% typically regain their weight and sometimes gain even more weight than they had before. The result is a vicious cycle of obesity and poor health.

The Only Long-Term Proven Effective Solution for Obesity

Conversely, weight loss surgery is the only proven long-term weight loss solution for patients suffering from obesity. Approximately 80-90% of qualified patients who undergo bariatric surgery keep their weight off over the long term. Even if some do gain weight after five or ten years, they are typically far healthier than they were prior to surgery.

Indeed, weight loss surgery is not simply a matter of cutting one’s stomach out to make it smaller, but it allows for hormonal changes and that reduce a patient’s hunger and help them lose weight. The goal, ultimately, is to jumpstart the weight loss process, but does not represent the only effort needed to be successful.

If you believe that weight loss surgery is the easy way out, we are here to tell you that it most certainly is not. You can consider weight loss surgery to be an assistive device, or a jump start to get your metabolic health back on track. But the hard work only just begins after surgery. In fact, patients who undergo bariatric surgery must maintain a new lifestyle in the form of improved diet and exercise for the rest of their lives. This is not to say that the post-operative lifestyle is impossible. It means that you must be very deliberate with your eating and determined in your exercise. You must also create a solid support team that consists of family, friends and, of course, our office to help motivate you, push you forward and keep you in good spirits.

Where to Start

Sometimes, the hardest part of your decision is figuring out where to start. We try to make this as easy as possible and encourage you to watch our online seminar where Dr. Higa discusses the important things to know about bariatric surgery and the procedures you may be considering. From there, you can schedule a consultation with Dr. Higa to learn more and see if you qualify.