Work with your physician as you consider options for maintaining and/or losing weight, such as:
- Diet modification and nutrition
- Increased exercise
- Changed eating behavior
- Doctor-approved medication
You likely will see significant improvement in your health after losing only 5 to 10 percent of your weight.
Another, more drastic, option is gastric bypass surgery, which has helped morbidly obese individuals control their weight.
"The surgery involves sealing off the upper portion of the stomach, leaving only a pouch the size of a hard-boiled egg, and bypassing a portion of the small intestine," says University of Pittsburgh Medical Center-Shadyside's director of bariatric surgery Anita Courcoulas, MD. "As a result, the patient becomes full more quickly and absorbs less of what is eaten."
The majority of gastric bypass patients lose 60 to 80 percent excess body weight within the first two years and maintain 50 to 65 percent weight loss more than five years after surgery.
However, the operation has its risks. Side effects can include bleeding, pneumonia, infection, and vomiting due to over-eating. Also, a blood clot may travel to a patient's lung, causing a pulmonary embolism, and possibly death, though this occurs in just one-half of one percent of cases.
Whatever you decide, remember to work with your physician to maintain overall good health.