Case of Extreme Overweightness

Q: I am overweight and I have been trying to lose weight for almost two years. However, even when I do manage to lose weight I tend to regain it quite easily.
Recently someone suggested that I try a surgery wherein I can lose weight gradually over a year and a half or so. Are there surgeries like this? Are they actually helpful and what are some of the side-effects? Should I undergo this one or any other type of weight reducing surgery?

A: Here are some treatments required:

* Weight reduction surgeries are called bariatric surgery and are usually done using key-hole access (laproscopic). They either reduce the stomach’s capacity or interfere with food absorption.

* There is also a non-surgical temporary method that reduces your food intake. In this method an intra-gastric balloon is inserted endoscopically. This remains in the stomach for six months and makes you feel full even when you’ve eaten only small amounts of food.

* These methods are only meant for those who are morbidly obese, where the body mass index (BMI) is more than 40. First you need to find out if you fall in this category.

* If you are not obese, a healthy lifestyle and body contouring surgery should suffice to get you into a good shape. Body contouring surgery includes liposuction/liposculpting, which reduces excess fat from certain areas of one’s body, and body lift surgery if required.

* One important thing to be advised that before considering any kind of surgery, please consult your physician rule out any hormonal problems you may have (in case of women).