Weight Loss Surgery in Texas

Beef! Chili! Seafood! Soul food! Beer! Chicken-fried everything! And of course the best barbeque in the world. Is there anything to eat or drink that we here in the Lone Star State don’t make better than anyone else? Millions of Texans know the answer is “no!”

But all that good eatin’ has a downside – and that downside is calories.

They say that everything’s bigger in Texas. Unfortunately, that applies to Texan appetites – and waistlines. Obesity has become a serious threat to public health in the Lone Star State. Over 62% of the population of Texas is overweight or obese according to data compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. The bill is big, too – the annual costs associated with excess weight in Texas are projected to reach $15.6 billion by next year and could rise to $39 billion by the year 2040.

And then there’s the cost in lives – lives ended or compromised by diabetes, cancer, heart conditions, and high blood pressure. Obesity can cause all of these conditions – and they cause misery for millions of Texans every day.

And that’s why we Texans have to draw a line in the sand where obesity is concerned. The fight against the disease is very much a matter of victory or death.

The disease of obesity

Obesity is a disease identifiable by the condition of being above one’s healthy weight. Healthy weight is calculated in terms of individual body mass index (BMI), which is a formula established by the National Institute of Health. To figure BMI, multiply your weight by 703, and then multiply your height in inches by itself. Now divide the first figure by the second figure (pounds x 703 / inches2) and that’s your BMI. If it’s 25 or higher, you’re overweight; 30 or higher means you’re obese. 

Now, common sense will tell you that all a Texan needs do is skip a meal or two every day, right? Once their daily calorie intake drops below their body’s daily life-support needs, off come those extra pounds. Simple!

But common sense also tells us that it’s not that simple. Obesity is not just about carrying extra weight. It is a medical condition that requires comprehensive medical care. Only those willing to completely change their lifestyle and eating habits can hope to recover completely. The good news is that a simple, medically-supervised program of diet and activity level changes works for almost everybody when it comes to losing weight safely.  The bad news is that some of us are so sick with this disease that this approach just won’t get the job done. For these folks, one option remains: weight loss surgery.

About Weight Loss Surgery

Weight loss surgery is not a gimmick or Hollywood-style plastic surgery. It’s very simple: by surgically changing the size and/or arrangement of the patient’s digestive tract, a doctor can limit the amount of food the patient can physically eat. Fewer calories consumed each day plus comprehensive post-op diet and lifestyle program equals a weight drop. The surgery itself takes three main forms, each a laparoscopic procedure, and all performed with the patient under general anesthesia.

But weight loss surgery is not a panacea. It is a part of a lifelong medical treatment of obesity. Failure to modify one’s diet and lifestyle post-operatively may cause the patient to regain any weight lost and/or experience other undesirable health effects.

Weight loss surgery is also not particularly complicated or dangerous in most cases; however, as do all forms of surgery, it does entail risk, including the risk of complications and/or premature death. If you think that you might be a candidate for weight loss surgery, you need to discuss the risks and benefits of the different bariatric procedures with your physician.

Our Rich Future

Texas means good people, good food, and good times. But unless we’re talking chili, we Texans don’t need to get beefy. Medical care for obese Texans – and sensible steps to prevent obesity for the rest of us – is the way to keep us in the Lone Star State healthy for life.