There are so many treatments available for obesity. It ranges from simple exercise routines, changes in eating habits, taking diet pills or weight loss surgery. All of these methods have their advantages and disadvantages. For those people who don’t want to take synthetic medications, herbal weight loss supplements are also gaining popularity. There are some products for obesity that promises immediate results but you should be careful since most of these are not 100 percent effective.

The main objective of obese people is to shed those excess fats in their body. A surgical procedure which became a popular method in 1990’s for sculpting body and removing excess fats could influence obese people to try this method. It is called liposuction, lipoplasty or suction lipectomy. The word “lipo” comes from a Greek word which means fat. In this method, a vacuum-like device or sometimes a large syringe is used to suction fat deposits in the body. The suction device is inserted through a small incision in the area where excess fats are removed.

The specific areas that can be the target of liposuction are thighs, abdomen, hips, buttocks, waist, breasts, upper arms, flanks, legs, back, chin, cheeks, and neck. This procedure offers a smoother and trimmer body. Liposuction is used primarily for cosmetic purposes. If you will ask; Is it right to choose Liposuction as an alternative treatment for obesity? The answer is no. It should not be used as an alternative method for losing weight if you are overweight or obese.

According to experts, people who would try liposuction should have a body close to normal weight. Remember that liposuction is only used to remove extra pockets of fats in a specific area of your body. An individual should have firm skin. Loose skins may require another type of surgery. It is also a must that a person who will undergo liposuction is physically fit and psychologically healthy. You have to be ready on the immediate changes in your body after the procedure. There are some cases where the procedure results to complications and even death. However, the method has already improved and the side effects are now minimized provided the surgeons are well qualified to perform the liposuction. The risk for major complications from liposuction is estimated at less than 0.5 percent.

Some reported side effects and complications include severe bleeding, prolonged swelling of the area, hyperpigmentation, and abnormal body contour because of inexperienced surgeon. Severe complications may also happen like necrosis, infection, blood clots, nerve damage, skin burn, accumulation of fluid in the lungs and shock.

People who are already considered obese or people with more than 130% of their ideal body weight should not consider this procedure in losing weight. It is not applicable to people who have diabetes, uncontrolled high blood pressure, heart disease, poor blood circulation, and lung disease. Other severe medical conditions are also considered before undergoing lipo treatment. This cosmetic procedure is not recommended for older people.

It is a fact that liposuction removes fats from the body. Experts say that the result should be permanent provided the patient maintains a healthy lifestyle, doing regular exercises and eating a healthy diet. Minimal weight gain should not affect the result of liposuction. However, gaining more than 30% or 50% of your ideal weight will surely make the surgery a waste of money.

Obesity is one of the common problems of most Americans. The factors causing this health condition varies depending on the type of lifestyle, work environment, genes, eating habits and many more. Although there are so many weight loss pills available in the market, there are some overweight and obese people that does not respond to any medication. Doing exercises may become futile if they can’t do it on a regular basis. Dieting is also an option but it has also some risks like failure of the body to absorb the necessary nutrients.

If all the options are not working for you, bariatric surgery can be your last resort. Your doctor should be able to explore all other non-surgical options since this will involve surgery. According to the National Institutes of Health, candidates for bariatric surgery should have at least a minimum Body Mass Index of 40. If it involved other morbidities, people with a BMI of 35 can also undergo the procedure. Another thing to consider is the cost of bariatric surgery. Health care providers usually ask around $3,000 for this procedure.

The surgical procedure is simple but there is a higher rate of complication. If you decide to choose this as a method for weight loss, the procedure will remove a segment of your stomach and reattaching a portion of your small intestines to the new stomach. This lead to fewer food intake and will also reduce the absorption of nutrients and calories. Statistics show that almost 20 percent of the patients who undergone bariatric surgery needs follow up operations. This is to correct complications such as abdominal hernias. Other side effects or complications include anemia, osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease.

Patients may also suffer from dumping syndrome. This is the result of rapid emptying of the content of the stomach to the small intestines. Although this is not considered as a major health concern but the symptoms may not be well tolerated by some individuals. Some of the symptoms which are associated with the dumping syndrome include nausea, sweating, weakness, diarrhea, faintness, tiredness, rapid heart rate, and stomach cramping after eating. The best way to avoid this side effect of bariatric surgery is to avoid eating sugary foods and fatty foods.

After the surgery, patients may also encounter some changes in the bowel movement. They may have fewer and smaller bowel movements which is sometimes followed by constipation. This can be corrected by an increase in water intake and supplementation of fiber. For immediate relief, laxatives may be prescribed by your doctor.

Since bariatric surgery can lead to rapid weight loss, it may result to loose skins in the arms, stomach, breast and thigh. You can avoid this by doing exercises to tone the muscles. However, if this is not successful a plastic surgery is recommended. This is again another burden to your pocket since most insurance does not cover this medical treatment specially after a bariatric surgery.

Expect that after operation, other side effects may also happen such as nausea and vomiting, dehydration, and food intolerance. People are advised to eat smaller portions at a slow pace and chewing the foods well. To avoid food intolerance, avoid eating dry foods and the patient can also take liquid diet first. Thinning of the hair are also noted on some women who undergone a gastric by-pass surgery. Those women who plan to get pregnant should wait for at least 12 to 18 months after surgery.

Losing weight is a tough and challenging job and maintaining the weight is even tougher. Studies show that over 95 percent who try to lose weight regain the weight lost in just a year. With the escalating number of obesity problems in the country, there must be an effective solution in providing people with ways on how to shed excess fats and maintain it for good. It is also important that when planning to lose weight you choose to consume less calories.

Researchers at Brown University and the University of Colorado found out that people who lose weight by reducing portions of what they eat had a hard time of preventing the weight from returning hence they created the National Weight Control Registry. This registry aims to study people and to qualify, each must have lost at least 30 pounds and maintain it for at least a year. Anyone knows that weight loss can only be achieved by consuming fewer calories and expend calories through exercise. However, weight loss does not only encompass diet and exercise but it also must have a basis in behavior change.

Inga Treitler, Ph.D uses the Hermann Brain Dominance Instrument or HBDI to assess how obese people think about life and how their thought processes relate to food intake. People are then divided into four groups and those who belong to group A are those who use their left hemisphere of the brain in the decision-making process. Those who belong to this group tend to think very mathematically and follow logic in making decisions. But when it comes to dieting, these people easily give up if favorable results are not quickly achieved.

Meanwhile, people who use their left lower brain belong to group B. They are usually good at following structured diet and exercise plans. Group C favor their right lower quadrant of the brain for decision making. People in this category are very emotional and spiritual. They usually crave the company of others and long for human connection. Aside from this, those in Group C have trouble following a structured diet plan since they tend to be emotional eaters.

And lastly, those who use their brain’s right upper quadrant are in group D. These people love to take risks and are easily bored with the monotony of following a strict eating and exercise plan. Also, they usually follow fad diets and look for a quick way in achieving weight loss such as the use of diet pills.

Based on the study, Treitler disclosed that people who are predominantly Type B in their decision making are most likely to succeed in losing weight. The reason is these people are very determined and are not bothered by the structure of diet and exercise plan. So, to be successful in losing weight, one has to commit to the goal of weight loss and not be deterred by emotions. Once you know the key to weight loss is in rethinking how you react to the world around you, then you can ultimately find success in your weight loss pursuit.