The popularity of bariatric (weight loss) surgery has soared in recent years. One study found that the number of bariatric surgeries increased five-fold between the period of 1998 to 2006. The study, published in the journal Health Matters, stated that there were 71,733 bariatric surgeries performed in the U.S. in 2002, a significant increase from the 13,386 surgeries performed in 1998.
By 2004, the number of bariatric surgeries in the U.S. had increased to a staggering 140,000, more than ten times the 1998 figure. This year, in 2008, there will probably be more than 200,000 of these surgeries performed in the United States.
Why are there so many more bariatric surgery procedures today than a few years ago? Several reasons, really:
1. More Surgery Options
For one thing, there is a wider variety of surgical procedures today than there were ten years ago. In the past, weight loss surgery basically meant a gastric bypass, with few other options. But today, patients considering a bariatric surgery have more options available to them, such as the increasingly popular gastric banding procedures.
2. More Publicity
Increased media coverage has also fueled the growth of bariatric weight-loss surgery in the United States. There are even spokespersons for it today, which is not something we saw in the past. For example, Muhammad Ali’s daughter Khalia Ali represents the LAP-BAND (r) System of weight loss surgery. As a result of all this media coverage, the American public is much more aware of the various weight loss surgery options, and thus more likely to pursue them.
3. Increased Need for Surgery
The third reason bariatric surgery is increasingly popular has to do with the rising number of obese people in this country. It is estimated that 30% of the American population is obese, a much higher percentage than ten years ago. Our increasingly sedentary lifestyles have likely contributed to these numbers.
These are disturbing trends for many reasons. For one thing, the criteria for screening bariatric surgery patients seem to have broadened quite a bit over the years. For years, this type surgery was reserved for people who were morbidly obese, patients who were so severely overweight that it was likely to kill them if drastic measures were not taken.
These days, however, it seems that anyone who is a bit overweight can find a bariatric surgeon ready and willing to alter their digestive process. We are even seeing this in children as young as 13, who are nowhere near the definition of morbid obesity. Does anyone remember the concept of lifestyle changes anymore?
It’s important to remember that weight loss surgery is still surgery, and as such it requires careful consideration and education on the part of the potential patient. It should not be considered a “quick fix” to being overweight, because there is no such thing. Bariatric surgery also fails to address the psychological factors that lead to overeating. This is why many post-surgery patients end up compensating with other vices such as alcohol abuse.
What’s my point? Simply that bariatric surgery should only be used as a last resort, and only for people who are morbidly obese. For people who are merely overweight, but not yet in the morbidly obese category, lifestyle changes should be the first plan of attack. Bariatric surgery is not a glamorous new trend in medicine. Nor is it a “fix all” solution to overeating. It is serious surgery that requires serious consideration.
Brandon Cornett is the publisher of Bariatric City, an online resource that provides bariatric information specific to certain cities across the U.S. (such as this latest guide to New York City bariatric procedures). Learn more by visiting http://www.bariatriclearningcenter.com/city
