Gastric Bypass
Summary
Gastric Bypass is a surgical procedure where your stomach is made smaller and food can bypass the small intestine. A portion of the stomach is clamped off by staples or a plastic band and then reconnected to the middle portion of the small intestine.
Having this surgery forces the individual to consume a smaller amount of calories because your stomach is smaller. Bypassing part of the small intestine also prevents you from absorbing as many calories.
Caution
There are a few things to think about before having this surgery. First, you can only eat a few ounces at a time and cannot drink at the same time because your stomach is so small. Second, people who have had this surgery must also chew their food to mush otherwise you may vomit. Third, you will also have to avoid sugar as it causes unpleasant affects. Forth, it is much harder to absorb enough nutrients so patients must take vitamin supplements. Lastly, this is surgery and there are always risks with surgery.
Review
I am not a doctor so my comments are based on what other medical professional say as well as my personal feelings. Any surgery is risky so when considering this for weight loss I would do a lot of research and talk closely with a doctor. Personally I feel that this kind of procedure should only be used if your weight is a serious health concern. Some of the risks include vitamin deficiency, osteoporosis, nausea and vomiting, and other complications. The biggest thing that I don’t like about this way of losing weight is that it doesn’t teach you how to be healthy. We have all seen a number of celebrities have this surgery only to gain weight back again later. If you have this surgery you still need to learn how to take care of yourself. I think people think this is a quick fix and in my opinion it is just a bypass to reality. In the end it is a decision between you and your doctor.