Weight Loss Surgery in Wisconsin

The Badger State is under attack – from the packers.

The “packers” we’re talking about are those of us who are packing on the pounds. According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, over 60% of the adult population here in Wisconsin overweight or obese – three out of every five grown-ups. And the kids are taking a hit, too. Over 14% of kids in Wisconsin ages 10 to 17 are overweight.

And that’s scary, because obesity may lead to other life-threatening illnesses called co-morbidities -- diabetes, heart disease, and worse. As a result, Wisconsin spends over $200 million on obesity-related treatments every year.

We have no one to blame but ourselves. This is, after all, America’s Dairyland. We eat a lot of fatty food here in the Badger State, and all those brats, beer, and cheese curds – while fine in moderation – are packed with calories. And when you couple our diet with our less-than-impressive levels of daily physical activity (Packers games don’t count unless you’re on the field), it’s easy to see how so much of what we eat ends up “on Wisconsin”.

Obesity: A Medical Problem

Obesity is a disease. Medically, it’s the condition of being above one’s healthy weight in terms of one’s body mass index (BMI). People with a BMI of 25 or higher are medically overweight; those with a BMI of more than 30 are considered obese.

Losing weight is a good thing overall, but “curing” the obese patient means reducing his or her weight to that appropriate to his or her height and build, and – most importantly -- changing the patient’s dietary and behavioral patterns in a way that will allow him or her to maintain an appropriate weight and BMI long term.

Successfully treating obesity means treating the whole person, not just eliminating their excess weight. A staged, structured program that includes a medically supervised diet, counseling and behavioral changes will gradually eliminate unhealthy weight in the vast majority of cases.

Unfortunately, some patients are too far along the path to total health collapse for this sort of gradual care to be advisable. Weight loss surgery can save lives in such emergency cases.

Here’s How It Works

Weight loss surgery procedures, such as the Lap-Band or gastric bypass, have a track record of success in the treatment of obesity. Patients are put under general anesthesia, and the surgeon will make necessary alterations to the stomach or digestive tract, based on the type of procedure, to limit the amount of food the patient can physically consume. Whether the procedure was malabsorptive, restrictive or combination, the end result is that the patient takes in fewer calories and gradually loses weight.

As part of a comprehensive treatment program, weight loss surgery is effective in saving the lives of even the most obese patient. However, patient failure to modify one’s diet and lifestyle as prescribed may cause any weight lost to be regained. In addition, weight loss surgery – like any operation – does entail risk, including the risk of premature death. Those considering bariatric surgery as an option for the management of obesity should carefully weigh the benefits and potential hazards of the various surgical procedures in consultation with their physician before making a decision.

A Healthier Wisconsin

Wisconsin can win this war on obesity. By making simple changes in our diet and activity levels – and by using weight loss surgery as a weapon of last resort -- we can maximize our chances of living a healthy and long life.