Being obese only does not mean that you have to go under the knife for weight loss surgery. Although bariatric surgery is the only effective and permanent solution for obesity, the decision to go for it has to be taken very carefully. The surgery is a life changing event as after the surgery people will have to adapt lifestyle that is completely different from what they had gone through till then. You have to prove clinically that you are obese and suffer from some difficulties like depression and obesity related health problems. There are psychological issues that can result in loss of self confidence as you might experience poor self image. Relationship problems are also likely to occur. When all or some of these become very intense, it is time to take a call regarding weight loss.
Patients have to be Mentally Prepared
The call has to be taken by your doctors who have to admit that there are no other ways of managing obesity. Merely meeting the physical and clinical requirements of surgery are not enough to be considered for it. Once it is decided that you have to go for surgery, it would require a lot of preparation on your part. Preparation related to be ready for undergoing the surgery and it’s after effects that can have a deep impact on your life. The better you are prepared the higher is the chance of success.
Suitable Candidates for Surgery
There is a measurable criterion for determining obesity by using the Body Mass Index (BMI). It establishes a relation between your height and body weight. BMI 35 to 40 is the range of obesity that is accepted among Americans and this can be divided into two categories. You are considered severely obese if your BMI is between 35 and 39.99 and if it exceeds 40 then you are declared morbidly obese. Due to the success rate of weight loss surgery there are discussions about bringing down the lower level of obesity to 30 BMI.
Build Realistic Expectations
The success of the surgery depends on the clinical results and your mental satisfaction of meeting your expectations. Therefore, it is important on your part to build realistic expectations so that chances of failure are minimized. Attaining BMI 30 is a good target as most obesity linked health problems are controlled and some are eradicated at this point. It is not bad to aim for BMI 25, but it could be slightly stressing. Reaching 30 indicates that the surgery is successful. Moreover it has been noted that people who are moderately overweight live longer than those with normal weight.
Post Surgery Discipline
Another element that helps to sustain the benefits of weight loss surgery is maintaining a disciplined life after surgery. You have to wait for 1 to 3 years after surgery to get the results. Sticking religiously to the exercise and diet program post surgery contributes to its success.
How much you achieve from the surgery depends a lot in how you conduct yourself before and after it.