According to an article published by Endocrine Web, a recent study has shown that weight loss surgery is effective and safe for older patients. The study, which followed 83 separate patients over the age of 60 who all had a bariatric procedure, showed that they lost an average of 65 percent of their excess weight when examined one year after their procedure. These results are extremely promising, both in terms of total weight loss, and what that weight loss means for the improvement of related obesity co-morbidities such as diabetes and weight loss.

• Weight Loss – Although achieving a better bill of health is nearly always the end goal for weight loss surgery, simply the fact of not having to carry around all that excess weight can be both a literal and figurative weight off the shoulders of older patients. Joint pain, which is very common in patients over 60, can be severely exacerbated by excess weight, and losing that weight can both reduce pain and increase mobility. This increased mobility can be the difference between whether or not a person is able to travel or participate in pleasurable activities with their friends and family.
• Co-Morbidities – Despite that fact that slimming down surely has many of its own benefits, the real and truly life-saving benefits have to do with the fact that losing excess weight has been shown to be an effective way for patients to rid themselves of dangerous co-morbidities such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. While these diseases may also occur in those who are not obese, their prevalence is much higher in obese patients. Yet, weight loss surgery studies have shown firsthand that these diseases are often reversible with significant weight loss. And, because weight loss surgery has been proven time and time again to be the most effective method for excess weight loss, it follows that it is the most effective method to send these dangerous co-morbidities into remission.

The fact weight loss surgery has been shown to be safe in patients over 60 is incredibly reassuring, considering that older patients are often the most at risk.