According to a recent opinion piece at the San Jose Mercury News, while Oprah’s dramatic weight loss throughout her career has inspired many of her fans, people of her social status and wealth employ additional services that are usually not accessible by ordinary people. The author of the piece notes that the famed media personality had a personal nutritionist, a private chef, a trainer, and a large staff of people who made her weight loss journey significantly easier. Of course, these options simply aren’t at the disposal of everyday people, and may not even be enough to support people with severe obesity in their weight loss goals.  

Additionally, even with reduced calorie diets and regular exercise, many people with severe obesity struggle to lose weight and keep it off. The reality is that a long term plan is essential, as a significant number of people dealing with obesity report frustration with yo-yo dieting, which is characterized by weight gains that equal or exceed previous losses. The fact remains that bariatric surgery is the only proven and effective medical option for losing a significant amount of excess weight, and numerous options are available for appropriate candidates:

Lap Band Surgery – The Lap Band procedure has become an increasingly popular treatment for severe obesity due to its minimally invasive and reversible nature. At BHP, our bariatric surgeons are not only incredibly experienced at placing the Lap Band, but in assisting patients in the recovery process. While a band must be occasionally adjusted, a further benefit is that it is completely removable once weight loss goals are successfully met. Additionally, we offer the services of a clinical psychologist who fully understands the physiological and psychological concerns involved in the weight loss process to assist patients before and after the surgical procedure.

Sleeve Gastrectomy – The gastric sleeve is also becoming one of the most commonly performed weight loss surgical procedures, but for other life-changing reasons. The procedure involves the removal of about 80 percent of the stomach, so patients will feel full much more quickly into each meal. Because the brain adjusts to new habits over time, patients will eventually feel satisfied after eating a much smaller amount of food. While every patient is unique and there is no perfect solution for everyone, the gastric sleeve is among the least invasive and most reliably successful of weight loss surgeries.