Weight Loss Surgery in Utah

An epidemic is stalking Utah – and you may have the disease already.

The disease is called obesity, and its main symptom is weight in excess of that which is healthy. From time to time, statistical data on public health is compiled into actuarial tables by the insurance industry. These tables are used to determine the most healthy weight for persons of a given height, build, and age. If you are above your healthy weight, you are suffering from obesity.

And you are not alone. In the Beehive State alone more than 55 percent of adults are overweight or obese -- over 977,000 Utahans!

The epidemic is getting worse. The percentage of obese adults in our state has grown more than 112%. over the past decade, with obesity among children growing fastest.

We’ve got to do something to stop it -- for our sake, and the sake of our children.

The Options

Living with obesity can be a struggle. Many people try to lose weight by means of celebrity-backed diets, rigorous exercise programs, or whatever weight-loss pill “miracle” is in the magazines this month.  Some succeed -- but many who do quickly regain the lost weight, and all risk making a bad situation worse.

Gimmicks don’t work. The only safe way to attain one’s healthy weight is through medical treatment aimed at reducing caloric intake. Fortunately, medical science has this approach down cold. Medically-supervised programs that teach patients how to eat a healthy diet and increase their activity level are almost always effective in producing gradual, safe weight loss in obese patients.

But some cases of obesity are just too severe for these programs to work. Weight loss surgery stands as a weapon of last resort for the dangerously obese.

Weight Loss Surgery: What is it?

Weight loss surgery is an invasive medical procedure intended to counter a patient’s obesity by limiting the amount of food – and thus calories – that her or she can consume. Bariatric procedures are performed under general anesthesia, and most by means of small incisions instead of open surgery. This family of procedures has been proven to help individual who are obese but beyond the help of behavior-based therapy alone.

Considering Surgical Weight Loss

But surgery alone is not a magic cure. Patients who have surgery must religiously follow postoperative instructions or risk regaining the weight they lost. Each procedure entails different risks and benefits; before deciding that surgery is the answer in a given case, the patient should discuss the risks and possible outcomes of these procedures with their physician.

The Battle

The people of Utah are famous for their optimism and spirit. Weight loss surgery may be the best strategy for some Utahans, but no matter which method we choose, we must all face this epidemic of obesity in our state.