Weight Reduction Surgery Kolkata Archives

We keep telling our patients that bariatric surgery is not a magic pill. Neither is it a quick-fix to lose all your extra weight.

It is just a head start for the people who find it difficult to adopt a healthy lifestyle due to their health issues.

Some people do very well with bariatric surgery and become fitness icons. Some do reasonably well and reclaim a healthy lifestyle. Some only lose a moderate amount of weight but are happy to have better health. Some do not do well at all.

It is a bell-shaped curve. Just like the marks on a math test in a large class. There are people at both extremes. About 95% are in between.

Just like a math test, it is possible to improve. It is also possible to get worse. It is okay to do badly on one test, once in a while.

Of all the things we know about obesity- the most important is that- It is a progressive disease. Obesity “begets” obesity. For every pound we gain, the likelihood of us gaining the next pound goes up. Therefore, while it is okay to fall off the fitness wagon once in a while, it is extremely important to get back on it.

Most people who have bariatric surgery face problems at one time or another. They may be related to adjusting to a new diet. They may be related to starting and maintaining an exercise regime. Or they may be psychological because unreal presurgical expectations do not match the results.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle in today’s era is not easy. But most of the people who do well become masters of creative suffering. Once you are past the difficulties of the initial few years, you are probably gonna stick to healthy living for the rest of your life.

We ask our patients to talk to others who have been through the same journey. Or talk to us- who have been companions to many on similar journeys. The first few years may be hard when we are alone. With companions, they are fun.

Is your child obese? Does he sit quietly in the house not wanting to go to school or play with other children? Is he or she snoring? Are her periods not normal?

If yes, your child could be harbouring the ill effects of obesity and he or she will need prompt treatment.

The childhood obesity could easily qualify to be one of the top problems the world is facing today because of the magnitude.

The causes of this tsunami of obese children have been plenty- food and inactivity being the major driving force.

There are some important reasons why we should not ignore obese children

1. It is incorrectly thought by parents that once they grow in height they would lose their bulges. Sadly, it does not happen that way! Most of these children are going to remain obese till adulthood.

2. We are now facing, for the first time in the history of mankind, the threat that the survival of this generation will be shorter than our predecessor! This is unprecedented!

3. Obese children suffer, just like adults, with diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, liver disease, heartburns, snoring and immobility. They have major psychosocial issues like poor self-esteem and lack of confidence. Many are ridiculed in school and shy away from group activities and interpersonal communication. This leads to abnormal development and growth that may result in permanent psychological trauma.

Treatment of obese children is a complex task. It needs involvement of parents, paediatricians, nutritionists, psychologists and bariatric surgeons.

In our center we evaluate each case individually and adopt the appropriate step. The initial strategy is always dietary and environmental modifications along with behaviour therapy. Sometimes bariatric surgery is needed.

Mostly we wait for skeletal maturity before taking up this surgery. However, in exceptional circumstances, when obesity is so crippling as to precipitate florid diabetes, high blood pressure and significant immobility and psychosocial issues then one must consider the bariatric surgery before it’s too late. There have been instances when waiting has been counter productive leading to permanent damage and in these situations an early bariatric surgery is beneficial.

In summary, obesity is in the rise in children. Prevention is the key and treatment whenever necessary has to be multidisciplinary in a centre where nutritionists, psychologists, endocrinologists and Bariatric surgeons work in tandem.

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