When should you consider weight loss surgery?

Weight loss operations, such as a gastric bypass, are becoming almost common place now. The risk is fairly low and the results are usually impressive. But in my opinion any weight loss surgery is a last throw of the dice in a weight loss quest – or at least it should be.

People often ask me why I am so against weight loss surgery. Well the truth is I am not against it as long as it is used in the right situation for the right people.

The Right Situation for Surgery

Whilst most operations are successful there is still a risk, perhaps very low, of the operation going wrong or the patient picking up virus/illnesses during the surgery. I don’t want to scare anybody by saying weight loss operations can kill – but the truth is there is a risk with any surgery. Does this mean you should never have this surgery? No, but it must be worth the risk.

For example, if I had obesity related diseases such as ongoing liver failure or organs at risk of collapsing or giving up and there was no way I was going to lose enough weight quickly by dieting to get healthy then I would go in for surgery to have the fat removed or for a gastric bypass. If the chance of death during surgery was 10% or less, but the chance of death without surgery was say 60% then it is obvious that the surgery would be worth the risk.

That is an extreme example, but you get the idea. It is not worth the risk just to make your body look better (I know, I know, countless people especially celebrities will have tiny bits of surgery to try and look just a little bit better, but  even with a 1% chance of it going drastically wrong, I do not think they are making the right choice).

Alternatives

The alternatives are quite obvious. Stick with a proven, healthy diet and try to do as much exercise as possible. Do not push either, just do as much as you can in a healthy manner. The key to weight loss is finding a plan that works (no matter how slowly) and stick with it! Even if you have to diet for a whole year, that is only a small percent of your life. It will be worth it. I know its not easy, but trust me.