Why Weight Loss Surgery

Facts About Obesity

Obesity is rapidly becoming the nation’s number-one health problem. Of the 97 million Americans who suffer from obesity, 5 to 10 million are considered morbidly obese.

Obesity is considered “morbid” when it reaches the point of significantly increasing the risk of obesity-related health conditions or serious diseases that can cause death or disability. About 300,000 deaths a year are associated with being overweight or obese.

Some of the diseases and conditions associated with obesity include:

Diabetes
Hypertension
Sleep Apnea
Stroke and Heart Disease
Gallbladder Disease and Gallstones
High Cholesterol
Osteoarthritis
Infertility
PCOS
Pregnancy Complications
Cancer
Respiratory Problems
Gout
Depression

We’re here to help.

At The Davis Clinic, we understand that obesity is a recognized disease by the National Institutes of Health, as many other health organizations around the world, and that having this disease is not your fault. Obesity is a complex disease that is often times misunderstood. As well as the genetic component of the disease, there are environmental, behavioral, social, psychological, and emotional factors that all play into your morbid obesity. Unfortunately in our society today, making fun of overweight people seems to be the last acceptable form of discrimination. We believe this is unacceptable and our passion is to help those that live with this disease to achieve a normal-weight life.

If you suffer from morbid obesity, you know the cycle all too well. You diet and lose weight only to gain back the weight you’d lost (and more). It feels as if you’re always walking up a down escalator, never making progress. With each passing year, another 10 … 20 … 30 pounds is gained, and while your body grows larger, your world grows smaller and smaller. The result of losing and gaining weight time and time again is a “yo-yo” dieting syndrome which slows down your body’s metabolism – the rate at which you can burn fat. This cycle increases your risk of serious health conditions, and simply put, does not work. Along with your discouragement comes frustration, followed by feelings of guilt and shame. And the cycle starts all over again.

You are not alone and obesity is not your fault.

Consider these facts:

People on diets, exercise programs or weight loss medications are able to lose approximately ten percent of their excess body weight, but tend to regain two-thirds of that weight within one year, and almost all of the weight is regained within five years.¹
Less than five percent of people in weight loss programs are able to maintain their weight loss after five years.²

So what can be done?

Weight loss surgery has been proven to be an appropriate and successful treatment for the disease of obesity.³ In fact, surgical treatment for the disease of obesity is the only proven solution for long-term weight loss and resolution of co-morbidities and associated diseases or conditions caused by obesity.

At The Davis Clinic, we specialize in providing individuals with the most current weight loss surgery procedures available today because it works. Our results speak for themselves.

Are You a Candidate for Weight Loss Surgery?

According to the National Institutes of Health, anyone weighing 20 percent or more than their ideal body weight is obese. At that point, the extra weight becomes a health risk, contributing to a number of conditions, many of which are life-threatening.

If you are obese, weight loss surgery may be an option to help you control your weight. To qualify for surgery, you must:

Be at least 100 pounds overweight, have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater without co-morbidities, or have a BMI of 35 or greater with at least two co-morbidities related to obesity;
Be between the ages of 18 and 70;
Be able to show past serious attempts to lose weight through diets prescribed and supervised by your doctor, through exercise, or through programs such as Weight Watchers^® or Jenny Craig^®;
Have no significant physical, medical, emotional or psychological problems that would make surgery unnecessarily risky; and
Commit to and be able to participate in long-term treatment and long-term follow-up care, including keeping all follow-up appointments with us and taking your vitamins daily.

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¹ American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE)/American College of Endocrinology (ACE) Obesity Task Force. Endor Pract.1998; 4:297-330.

² Finkelstein EA, Fiebelkorn IC, Wang G. State-Level Estimates of Annual Medical Expenditures Attributable to Obesity. Obes Res 2004;12:18-24.

³ American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Rationale for the Surgical Treatment of Morbid Obesity. [Online] 21 February 2005.