If you are significantly overweight and have tried weight loss programs, diets and exercise with no success, bariatric surgery may be a good solution for losing weight. Intended for people who are morbidly obese, the procedure makes the stomach smaller so a person feels satisfied with less food.
The comprehensive bariatric program at the University of Florida Weight Loss Surgery Institute consists of a team of experienced surgeons, bariatric nurses, nutritionists, a program coordinator, a psychologist, and an exercise physiologist to help patients achieve a healthy weight. In addition, a multidisciplinary team of pulmonologists, endocrinologists, gastroenterologists and cardiologists work together with the common goal of improving the patient's quality of life.
In the United States, 24 million adults are living with morbid obesity and may qualify for bariatric surgery based on the National Institutes of Health guidelines. The NIH defines morbid obesity as a patient meeting one of the following conditions:
Being 100 pounds or more above your ideal body weight
Having a body mass index of 40 or greater
Having a BMI of 35 or greater and one or more co-morbid conditions
Co-morbid conditions
A co-morbid condition is a health condition related to a primary disease such as obesity. Some of the most common conditions related to co-morbid obesity are:
Acid reflux
Cancer
Depression
Female reproductive health disorder
Heart disease, including hardening of the arteries, heart attack and chest pains
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Obstructive sleep apnea
Osteoarthritis and/or joint pain, which can lead to loss of mobility
