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Weight Loss Surgery Research

All of the below articles cover interest areas of people who have already had weight loss surgery or are doing research to determine if weight loss surgery is for them.  These articles should be used along with the Frequently Asked Questions section to allow you to become better informed.  If you have any suggestions for articles to be included here, please send an email to: webmaster@WLScenter.com


Interesting Foods
The following was sent to me from one of my Back On Track Mentoring Group members.  It presents some interesting things about the common foods that we eat.

Your Medicine Cabinet
We are in the middle of cold and flu season. If you have caught a bug, you may be confused about which over the counter remedies are usually acceptable or not for us to take. This article from my book, Weight Loss Surgery; Finding the Thin Person Hiding Inside You will guide you through.

Am I Blue?
Many antidepressants cause us to gain weight.  And the extra weight can cause us to be depressed.  It's a vicious cycle.

Artificial Sweeteners: Doing the Opposite of What You Think?
A new study from Purdue University indicates that artificial sweeteners can cause us to gain weight. In this study researchers used two groups of rats.

Reactive Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia is low blood sugar and normally occurs after fasting. Reactive hypoglycemia is hypoglycemia that occurs within 4 hours of eating and is a very serious condition requiring a doctors supervision. Patients may feel sweaty, shaky, dizzy, hungry, nervous, confused, sleepy or flushed. It can be very dangerous and even cause seizures and coma. Some dont develop symptoms until years after their surgery.

How to be a Patient Advocate Here is an article on how to be a patient advocate that I co-authored with Joe Nadglowski, the Executive Director of the Obesity Action Coalition.  Be an advocate for weight loss surgery. There are many thousands of people who are literally dying to have surgery and are unable to because their insurance companies will not cover it. 

The Human Condition: Wishing Your Life Away
This is reprinted with permission from Balancing Act by Alan Weiss, a newsletter that I subscribe to. Alan touches upon a point that is important for each of us to hear. 

Recommendations on the Use of Alcohol after Surgery

Allergies
In the January 1, 2007 Newsletter, Barbara Thompson asked people to send their comments about allergies after weight loss surgery.  This is a compilation of reader's comments.

Lap Band vs. RNY

Back Pain Following Weight Loss Surgery

Alcoholism
I am a strong supporter of weight loss surgery, however, we all need to be aware of pitfalls that await us in order to avoid them.  The possibility of alcoholism is one of those pitfalls.  Here are some articles on the subject:

View ABC Nightline About Transfer Addiction
Alcoholism Following Weight Loss Surgery
WLS Center Newsletter May 1, 2006
WLS Center Newsletter Aug 1, 2006

Wall Street Journal Article

Sex Drive Following Surgery
Jennifer emailed me with a request to ask if anyone is having the same problem that she is. So many of us feel like we are alone and no one is going through what we are. But I have seen over and over that if one person is experiencing something, chances are many more are also.

Pregnancy  and Weight Loss Surgery
Pregnancy following weight loss surgery can be frightening.  Everyone wonders how their pregnancy will be affected by the surgery.  This article consists of some contributions I have received from mothers and mothers-to-be about the subject.

You know you are a weight loss surgery patient when...
We form a community because we have shared so many common experiences This list was made by a group of patients who circulated it on the internet a few years ago. I hope this puts a smile on your face as you recognize how many of these phrases sound like you?

Changes In Morbidity
Special Report: The Relationship Between Weight Loss and Changes in Morbidity Following Bariatric Surgery for Morbid Obesity

“Children and Your Surgery: What About Me?”
by Barbara Thompson
You know that you are at a much higher risk of developing significant problems when you stay morbidly obese, but to your children, you are their Mom or Dad and you are in the only body that they have ever known.

“Risks of Surgery”
An article that features the March 10, 2003 issue of People Magazine about a study documenting the risks of weight loss surgery.

“How Do You Define Success”
by Barbara Thompson
How do we define success when referring to weight loss surgery?

“Not Feelin Groovy? Some Thoughts on Depression”
by Barbara Thompson
Depression is very common during various points along your weight loss journey.  Knowing where the points are will help you to deal with the depressions better when they happen.

Tips for Staying on Track
A subscriber to my Newsletter shared these with me.  I loved the common sense and the wisdom and asked her if I could publish them for everyone to share.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

“Prevalence and Trends in Obesity Among US Adults”
by Barbara Thompson
A review of  Flegal, Katherine, Prevalence and Trends in Obesity Among US Adults, 1999-2000, Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 288, Oct. 9, 2002, p. 1723-1727.

Could Leptin be the cause of Yo-Yo Dieting???
by Barbara Thompson

Why is it that we diet and lose weight, but then gain it back plus additional weight?  Could the answer be in the hormone Leptin?

Some Thoughts on Image
by Barbara Thompson
For someone to succeed with weight loss surgery, they must learn to truly appreciate the new thinner external image of their body and at the same time, create a positive internal self-image by using daily positive self-talk. 

"Experts weigh in on who should pay for obesity"
by Barbara Thompson

This article talks about insurance and the Human Resources/ Employee Benefits managers where you or your spouse works

When Things Go Wrong
by Barbara Thompson
Something I have always been known for is my honesty.  It comes through in my book and certainly when I speak to patients. I would like to address what most people are reluctant to talk about and that is what about when things go wrong.  Weight loss surgery is not without its risks and people should be fully informed when they make the decision to proceed.  Surgeons call this concept  Informed Consent and this is a requirement of the National Institutes of Health. 

Weight Loss Can Cause Divorce
Losing a great deal of weight can disrupt relationships.  You are changing every day, and you may find that your friends or spouses are unwilling or unable to change in the relationship along with you. 

When the Tool No Longer Works
by Barbara Thompson

Those of us who are post-op know that right after surgery, the weight tends to fall off at a rate that you have never known before.  Your former foe, the scale, suddenly becomes your best friend at least until that first plateau occurs! 

Healthy Forever; Patient Compliance and Vitamin Supplements
by Barbara Thompson
Surgery is just one step in a long journey to health that is directly affected by what you as a patient do.  You determine if you will lose 50%, 75% or 100% of your excess weight.  And you determine how healthy you might be by how closely you comply with all of those nutritional warnings given to you by your surgeon and the support staff. One of the easiest requirements to follow is the one involving vitamins.

Obesity is Reaching "Epidemic Proportions"
Dec 13,2001: Surgeon General David Satcher declared war on obesity.  Although he did not say anything different than what is common knowledge to us, it was encouraging to hear someone at the highest level of the medical community in this country say that obesity needs to be treated as a disease. 

Helping Your Overweight Child
Here is another good article about our overweight children.

Stress and Eating
Along with the rest of the country, I have been sad and in mourning since September 11th.  I am usually so positive and upbeat, so this reaction is very foreign to me.  I love to laugh, but now I find it hard to find humor. I am feeling the stress of the conflict in which we are engaged...

Human Causes of Hair Loss
This is a handout distributed at the support group meeting sponsored by my surgeon, Dr. Philip Schauer.  It address actions we can take of avoid to try to minimize the hair loss that many of us experience following surgery.

What exactly is Roux en-Y (RNY) Surgery?
The Roux en-Y (RNY) gastric bypass surgery is considered to be the "gold standard" in gastric bypass surgeries. Read this article to find out about this wonderful and positive life changing surgical procedure.

National Institutes of Health Endorsement of RNY and VBG
Includes the NIH endorsement of RNY or VBG surgery for morbidly obese.
National Institutes of Health, Consensus Development Conference Statement,March 25-27, 1991 Gastrointestinal Surgery for Severe Obesity

Gastric Surgery for Severe Obesity
National Institute of Health document that explains the normal digestive process, how surgery promotes weight loss, what the surgical options are, what the benefits and risks are, and if surgery is for you.

Statistics Related to Overweight and Obesity
To understand the significance of statistics related to overweight and obesity, it is important to know how overweight and obesity are defined and measured.

Obesity Surgery - Another Unmet Need
Editorial discussing the effectiveness of surgery for the treatment of morbid obesity.  Life expectancy of those who do not have surgery, need for more trained surgeons, etc. 
Baxter, John. BMJ: British Medical Journal, Sept. 2, 2000, Vol. 321, Issue 7260, p. 523. 2 p.

Quality of Life Assessment of Morbidly Obese Patients
The effects of weight loss surgery on the quality of life was examined comparing two groups.
Van Gemert, W.G., "," American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Feb. 1998, Vol. 67, 197-201, 5 p.

Constipation (Article #1)
Why Am I Constipated?
(Article #2)
If you are having problems with constipation, these two documents from the National Institutes of Health may help you find some relief.

 

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