Understanding obesity and weight loss surgery
The key to providing the most effective treatment for obesity lies in fully understanding the causes of the complex condition.
The common misconception that obesity is a direct result of making poor food choices over an extended period has caused many people to struggle with treating obesity far more and for far longer than necessary.
According to Monash University, 14 million Australians are obese or severely overweight, a figure that has more than doubled in the past 20 years.
Of significant concern is that obesity is now the leading cause of premature death and illness in Australia and has overtaken smoking as the single biggest threat to the health and safety of Australians.
What is obesity?
Obesity is a chronic health condition caused by excess body fat. Excess weight is so severe in obese patients that they are at critical risk of developing further and often more serious health concerns.
The following health issues have strong links with obesity:
- Type 2 diabetes.
- Heart disease.
- Stroke.
- Bowel cancer.
- Breast cancer.
- Infertility and polycystic ovaries.
- Fatty liver disease.
- Osteoarthritis.
- Adult-onset asthma.
- High cholesterol.
- Depression.
- Heartburn and reflux.
- Blood clots.
Developments in obesity research
In recent years, extensive research has concluded that it's less of a condition resulting from poor food choices with more of a correlation made between genetic predisposition, emotional issues and neurological conditions.
Understanding more about obesity as a chronic health problem has helped clinicians provide more effective treatment options leading to long-lasting results that can drastically turn around the health of a patient.
Understanding weight loss surgery
As part of an integrated treatment plan, weight loss surgery is now widely recognised as one of the most successful methods of treating obesity.
With a broad scope of surgical weight loss options available, when a procedure is combined with key disciplines such as psychology and nutrition, put simply; it works.
By identifying the most appropriate procedure to meet the individual's lifestyle and unique needs and working alongside a multidisciplinary team, we're consistently achieving successful patient outcomes.
Weight loss surgery is rarely effective as a standalone procedure but now we know more about the causes, we can offer treatment that considers every area of a patient's condition while guiding and supporting them through the long-term journey that leads to their health and happiness.