As of September of this year, there is a “new” option for gastric banding surgery in the United States. It’s a product called the REALIZE™ Adjustable Gastric Band, and it’s manufactured by Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., which is a Johnson and Johnson company.

(For the sake of simplicity, I’ll refer to it as the Realize Band for the rest of this update.)

I call it a “new” product — in quotation marks — because the Realize Band has been available outside of the U.S. since 1996, though under a different product name. And according to the manufacturers, it has been used in more than 100,000 gastric banding surgeries worldwide.

If you are familiar adjustable gastric bands in general, then you already know how this product works. If you’d like to learn more about the Realize Band and how it works, please refer to our expanded article recently posted to the Articles section (or just click the link below).

New article:
About the Realize Gastric Band

Recently, I conducted some research online to see what kinds of topics people are researching with regard to weight loss surgery. I was disappointed to find that hundreds of people search the phrase weight loss surgery every day, while only a handful search the phrase alternatives to weight loss surgery (and variations).

I was disappointed because I figured there would be (or should be) a lot of folks looking for alternatives to surgery for weight loss … people in search of some other way to lose weight other than resorting to surgery. Alas, only a small handful fit into this category.

Small handful of people: This article is written for you!

Non-Surgical Alternatives for Weight Loss

Are there alternatives to weight loss surgery that can be equally effective? Of course there are! It’s called a healthier lifestyle, and it’s even better than weight loss surgery because it actually treats the disease (unhealthy lifestyle) and not just the symptoms (being overweight).

Think about it logically for a moment. When you undergo a surgical procedure for weight loss, you are addressing it from the physical side. But the emotional / mental side plays a huge role in people being overweight. Surgery doesn’t address this at all.

So what happens after weight loss surgery, when the mental and emotional condition is still predisposed to bad habits? Well, for many people, depression happens. And studies now show that a lot of people simply trade one obsession (food) for another obsession (often alcohol). That’s because the emotional problem has not been addressed … only the physical side.

So yes, there are alternatives to weight loss surgery that can help you lose weight. And yes, these alternatives are often superior to weight loss surgery because they take a more holistic approach, considering all sides of the picture.

Now Featuring: Alternatives to Weight Loss Surgery

In the next few blog posts we will be featuring a variety of books and products that show you how to lose weight / fat without resorting to surgery for the weight loss. It’s our position that you owe it to yourself to at least explore these non-surgical options for weight loss / fat loss.

When you consider that many of them are under $50 — as compared to the average weight loss surgery price tag of $25,000 — it seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it?

First Up: Fat Loss for Idiots

Manufacturer’s Product Description: “Weight loss programs such as Weight Watchers (and Jenny Craig) usually involve slower dieting progress over a longer period of time, since such programs generally promise only 2-3 pounds of weight loss per week.

While some people may like these types of dietary programs, we prefer a dieting plan which focuses on faster weight loss, such as the Accelerated Fat Burning Program shown below…” Learn more or purchase

We will continue to scour the universe for alternatives to weight loss surgery and will present them to you here. Keep in mind the incredible price difference between these weight loss training guides and having actual surgery for weight loss. And keep in mind that surgery should be your last resort for weight loss.

MFA Division of Bariatric Surgery Named Center of Excellence for High-Quality Care In Bariatric Surgery

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates (MFA) Division of Bariatric Surgery announced today that it has been named an American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence. The ASMBS Center of Excellence designation recognizes surgical programs with a demonstrated track record of favorable outcomes in bariatric surgery.

According to a report released in 2007 by the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality, the number of bariatric surgeries has grown from
16,000 procedures performed in 1992 to 170,000 performed in 2005. Faced with clinical evidence that the most experienced and best-run bariatric surgery programs have by far the lowest rates of complications, the ASMBS Centers of Excellence program was created to recognize bariatric surgery centers that perform well and to help surgeons and hospitals continue to improve the quality and safety of care provided.

To earn a Center of Excellence designation, the division of Bariatric
Surgery underwent a series of site inspections during which all aspects of
the program’s surgical processes were closely examined and data on health
outcomes was collected. The division of Bariatric Surgery and other centers
receiving the Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence designation agree to
continue to share information on clinical pathways, protocols and outcomes
data.

“Due to the increasing prevalence of morbid obesity and the inherent
risks and the opportunities available to greatly improve the health of this
patient population, we recognize the need to implement a systematic
approach to improving quality,” said Dr. Paul Lin, Vice Chairman of the
Department of Surgery and Chief and Program Director of the Division of
General Surgery at the MFA. “At MFA’s Division of Bariatric Surgery, we
believe that the ASMBS Centers of Excellence program will serve as a
catalyst, driving strong programs to get even better,” said Dr. Frederick
Brody, Associate Professor of Surgery and Director of Minimally Invasive
Surgery.

Surgical Review Corporation (SRC), an organization dedicated to
pursuing surgical excellence, formulates and establishes the rigorous
standards with which the MFA Division of Bariatric Surgery and other
Centers of Excellence must comply, thoroughly inspects and evaluates each
candidate for designation, and upon review recommends approval of
designation for those physicians and facilities whose practices and
outcomes meet the stringent demands set forth by SRC for ASMBS.

Obesity has become a significant national health issue, with the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that 66 percent of all U.S. adults are overweight or obese. Morbid obesity is closely
correlated with a number of serious conditions that severely undermine the
health of overweight patients, including heart disease, high blood pressure
and diabetes.

Bariatric surgery, when performed correctly, can help obese patients
manage these conditions. By definition, surgeons with ASMBS Center of
Excellence designations practice only top-quality care, ensuring efficacy
of the procedure with each patient to the best of their abilities.

As a pioneering organization, designating Centers of Excellence based
on top quality care and efficacious outcomes, the American Society for
Bariatric Surgery, with the help of SRC, is working to align the common
interests of patients, surgeons, hospitals and insurers, all of whom suffer
when complications develop after surgical care.

About The George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates

The GW Medical Faculty Associates (MFA) is a non-profit, 501(c) (3)
physician group practice corporation comprising the academic clinical
faculty for The George Washington University Medical Center. In its sixth
year of existence, the MFA has grown to include over 300 physicians
providing medical care in 41 specialty areas. Aside from its expertise in
patient care, medical education and scientific research, the MFA is leading
the way to modernize the practice of medicine with the adaptation and
implementation of technology to improve the patient experience. For more
information, please visit http://www.gwdocs.com

About American Society for Bariatric Surgery

The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) is the
largest society for this specialty in the world. Founded in 1983, foremost
American surgeons have formed the society’s leadership and have established an excellent organization with educational and support programs for surgeons and allied health professionals. The purpose of the society is to advance the art and science of bariatric surgery by continued encouragement of its members to: pursue investigations in both the clinic and the laboratory; interchange ideas, information and experience pertaining to bariatric surgery; promote guidelines for ethical patient selection and care; develop educational programs for physicians, paramedical persons, and lay people; and promote outcome studies and quality assurance. For more information about ASMBS, please visit http://www.asmbs.org.

About Surgical Review Corporation

Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) is an independent not-for-profit
organization dedicated to surgical excellence. SRC’s mission is to promote
the delivery of surgical care with the highest levels of efficacy,
efficiency, and safety possible. For more information about SRC or to
download a Center of Excellence application, please visit
http://www.surgicalreview.org.

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Learn more about the Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence program.