Severe obesity is one of the most serious stages of obesity. You may often find yourself struggling with your weight and essentially feeling as if you’re trapped in a weight gain cycle. In addition, you most likely have attempted numerous diets – only in the end, to see your weight continue to increase. Exercise and diet alone often fail to effectively treat people with extreme and excessive obesity.
Bariatric surgeries are done when diet and exercise haven’t worked or when you have serious health problems because of your weight. Weight loss is achieved by reducing the size of the stomach with a gastric band or through the removal of a portion of the stomach (sleeve gastrectomy or biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch) or by resecting and re-routing the small intestine to a small stomach pouch (gastric bypass surgery).
Bariatric surgery is designed to alter or interrupt the digestion process so that food is not broken down and absorbed in the usual way. A reduction in the number of nutrients and calories absorbed enables patients to lose weight and decrease their risk for obesity-related health risks or disorders.
Each of these types has its own advantages and disadvantages. Various patient factors affect which procedure is chosen including BMI, eating habits, health problems related to obesity and the number of previous stomach surgeries. The patient and provider should discuss the most suitable option by considering the benefits and risks of each type of surgery.
Apart from long and sustained weight loss, bariatric surgery provides the following benefits:
The benefits of bariatric surgery must be weighed against its potential risks. In addition to the risks of the surgery itself (such as death, bleeding, infection and blood clots), bariatric surgery may cause nutritional deficiencies in protein, vitamins and minerals. Bone mineral density loss may develop from inadequate intestinal calcium absorption. Low blood glucose levels (hypoglycemia) after eating carbohydrates and inadequate vitamin B-12 absorption causing nerve damage to the feet, legs, or hands (peripheral neuropathy), may occur over time.
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Bariatric surgery may be an option for adults who have:
However, consult your doctor who may suggest some extensive screenings to undergo these weight-loss surgeries.
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Disclaimer: The above information has been prepared by a qualified medical professional and may not represent the practices followed universally. The suggestions listed in this article constitute relatively common advice given to patients, and since every patient is different, you are advised to consult your physician, if in doubt, before acting upon this information. Lupin Limited has only facilitated the distribution of this information to you in the interest of patient education and welfare.
BMI or Body Mass Index is the measurement of a person’s weight in relation to height. The figure gives an approximate measurement of the amount of fat the person has. Since the score is directly proportional to the amount of fat, a high figure corresponds to a higher amount of fat the person has.
| Body Mass Index (BMI) | Weight Status |
| Less than 18.5 | Underweight |
| 18.5-24.9 | Healthy |
| 25.0-29.9 | Overweight |
| 30.0 or more | Obese |
In most cases, BMI proves to be a reliable tool to measure body fat percentage. It is a simple calculation that can be done with a mathematical formula and anyone can do it.
To calculate the BMI of an individual, the following BMI formula can be used.
BMI= Weight in kilograms/height in meters squared
There are many charts available online and in pharmacy shops that plot weight with respect to height and provide the BMI figures for individuals.
BMI helps to decide the place of the individual in the health spectrum. Since it gives an approximate value of the amount of fat a person has, it helps doctors and other people in the healthcare field to screen individuals who are obese or overweight. Corresponding to this, medical risks associated with the two conditions can be assessed.
Some conditions associated with being overweight or obese are:
However, one must remember that BMI is just one aspect when assessing health risks. Other factors that need to be taken into consideration are genetic history, age, gender, levels of physical activity, blood sugar levels, smoking habits, waist circumference, etc.
In most cases, BMI provides a comprehensive measure of obesity and health risks associated with that. There are some areas where it falters, though. It doesn’t take into consideration the amount of bone, fat, muscle mass and mass of other tissues.
For example, someone might weigh more because of a high amount of muscle mass and fall in the overweight category. In reality, they are quite fit and healthy. So, two people can have the same BMI score in which one is very healthy and has a very less body fat percentage and another may be the opposite with a high amount of fat in their body. On the other hand, an old person can fall in the normal BMI but still have a high amount of body fat percentage. Children, adolescents, pregnant women, persons with smaller or larger skeletal frames, and muscular individuals will have a varying BMI score which may or may not correspond to the amount of body fat they have. Their BMI scores need to be interpreted differently.
While BMI can accurately draw connections between body fat, there are certain limitations that it suffers from. For example,
If your BMI falls in any category apart from ‘healthy’, you could do the following to bring it to the healthy range.
Establishing an exercise routine will help to bring down the fat percentage in your body. Regular workout sessions will improve your appearance and your mood apart from bringing down your weight. Weight training and high-intensity interval training are great options to reduce body fat. Make small but potent changes to your routine. Walk to work or take the stairs instead of the lift. Read more about the health benefits of exercise
Diet contributes to 80% of our weight gain or weight loss. Make healthy eating a lifestyle change and not a fad that you have to follow for a short while. Be consistent and disciplined in your food choices and have an occasional cheat day but not too often. Mindful eating is half the battle won. Stock up your meal on protein and reduce your carbohydrate intake. Maintain a food diary to document whatever you eat. If possible, consult a dietician and stick to the diet plan that she or he creates.
Your body needs enough rest to have a healthy metabolism. Get enough shuteye to keep your weight in check. Adopt healthy sleeping habits so your body knows when it is time to switch off and go to sleep. Do not use any gadgets for an hour before sleeping. Try to shift the television out of the bedroom. Hit the sack at the same time every night and refrain from having any caffeine or alcohol before bedtime.
Low BMI that is not managed as a risk issue during pregnancy is an avoidable cause of low birthweight and preterm birth. Women presenting with low BMI may have features in their history, such as certain mental health disorders, and may risk pregnancy outcomes, caution and consultation are advised.
Dr. Ashish Bajaj, M.B.B.S., M.D
Monitor your progress from the day you started. A weekly or a monthly review helps to keep yourself motivated and to correct the areas where you could be lacking. Celebrate your successes. There are many apps that help monitor various aspects of your health- from healthy eating and recording meals to recording the workouts.
Research says that monitoring your activity levels will help give you a clear picture of how much you actually move. We might think we walk a lot but when we record our activity levels through gadgets and apps, we realize we have overestimated our activity levels.
Body mass index or BMI is a statistical index using a person’s weight and height to provide an estimate of body fat in males and females of any age. It is calculated by taking a person’s weight, in kilograms, divided by their height, in meters squared, or BMI = weight (in kg)/ height^2 (in m^2).
Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD
Weigh yourself regularly. This helps you to stick to your goal and provides immediate feedback on your efforts. Weigh yourself once a week at the same time.
Instead of going all out with your workout schedules and eating healthy only for a month and then relapsing into your old, unhealthy lifestyle, it is better to stay consistent with small changes. Begin with small steps and work your way up towards a regular, consistent healthy living. This way you program your mind to accept the small changes and get settled in the new routines. Every week or month, replace a bad habit with new, healthier ones.
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While it is important to calculate BMI and figure out where you land in the health spectrum, a too high or too low reading should not deter you. Age, gender, muscle mass and bone weight all contribute toward the reading and adjustments must be made accordingly. Ensure that you eat a clean diet and follow a regular exercise regimen to keep yourself healthy.
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Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.
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