Lap Band Surgery to cure Type 2 Diabetes
27 February, 2009 - 11:37
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Currently, 30% of Australians are both diabetic and obese. This is known as ‘diabesity’. According to Professor O'Brien, who has performed 2000 lap-band surgeries at the Alfred Hospital: "The diabetics who would benefit most from the procedure are those with a BMI over 30 who had failed to improve their condition using drugs, low-calorie diets or exercise."
But is this solution simply a bandaid to cover the symptoms? Well the jury’s out on that one. I have seen a number of obese clients who have had the surgery. Some have had success. Others have found it has made little difference to their weight because their obsession with food has not diminished. One particular client said to me: ‘Sonia, no little rubber band around my stomach is going to stop me from bingeing if I set my mind to it. I’ll vitamise it, melt it and sip it through a straw if I have to…’. What she was saying of course is that there are always loopholes to be found in even the most watertight solutions.
On the other hand, my client ‘Jenny’ did very well with the surgery. From her perspective it was a last resort, but psychologically she needed to get some runs on the board after having failed at weight loss so many times before. The surgery gave her that little leg up she needed to get the ball rolling. She came to see me to address the mental side of her food addiction, and now she is full steam ahead and losing weight very easily. But I must stress this: ‘Jenny’ is very focused, motivated and committed. She eats regular, low fat healthy meals. She exercises every day. She watches her portion sizes. She is, as they say, ‘doing the time’.
My conclusion? Lap band surgery in and of itself is not a solution to obesity, diabetes or anything else for that matter. It addresses the symptom very nicely in many cases. What must follow the surgery is a commitment to a healthy lifestyle that includes a variety of food types in appropriate portion sizes combined with regular exercise. But then that’s what I’ve been saying all along….
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There have been some very interesting reports in the news lately about lap band surgery being encouraged as a cure for type 2 diabetes. Lap band surgery is a procedure where a rubber bandlink is surgically wrapped around the stomach to induce weight loss by restricting the amount of food taken. It is suggested that this type of surgery will clear three out of four type 2 diabetics of their condition after two years. It is also said that patients with a body mass index higher than 30 are able to lose 20% of their weight with the surgery.
Currently, 30% of Australians are both diabetic and obese. This is known as ‘diabesity’. According to Professor O'Brien, who has performed 2000 lap-band surgeries at the Alfred Hospital: "The diabetics who would benefit most from the procedure are those with a BMI over 30 who had failed to improve their condition using drugs, low-calorie diets or exercise."
But is this solution simply a bandaid to cover the symptoms? Well the jury’s out on that one. I have seen a number of obese clients who have had the surgery. Some have had success. Others have found it has made little difference to their weight because their obsession with food has not diminished. One particular client said to me: ‘Sonia, no little rubber band around my stomach is going to stop me from bingeing if I set my mind to it. I’ll vitamise it, melt it and sip it through a straw if I have to…’. What she was saying of course is that there are always loopholes to be found in even the most watertight solutions.
On the other hand, my client ‘Jenny’ did very well with the surgery. From her perspective it was a last resort, but psychologically she needed to get some runs on the board after having failed at weight loss so many times before. The surgery gave her that little leg up she needed to get the ball rolling. She came to see me to address the mental side of her food addiction, and now she is full steam ahead and losing weight very easily. But I must stress this: ‘Jenny’ is very focused, motivated and committed. She eats regular, low fat healthy meals. She exercises every day. She watches her portion sizes. She is, as they say, ‘doing the time’.
My conclusion? Lap band surgery in and of itself is not a solution to obesity, diabetes or anything else for that matter. It addresses the symptom very nicely in many cases. What must follow the surgery is a commitment to a healthy lifestyle that includes a variety of food types in appropriate portion sizes combined with regular exercise. But then that’s what I’ve been saying all along….
Signing off for now
Yours in weight loss hypnotherapy,
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