Weight loss in Austin

A Well-Rounded Approach to Treating Obesity

Diet and exercise are both excellent ways to attain and maintain a healthy weight. Eating a balanced diet and getting enough physical activity are traditionally very effective methods of staying at a weight in healthy proportion to height. In some cases, however, obese individuals have rapidly declining health conditions which require surgical intervention to lose hundreds of excess pounds.

When performed on appropriate candidates by skilled surgeons such as Dr. Alan Abando and Dr. Nicole Basa, bariatric surgery can be a literal life saver.

Surgeries such as the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (often performed with the daVinci Robotic Surgical System by Dr. Basa) and Sleeve gastrectomy alter the size of the stomach and reroute the digestive tract, limiting the amount of food that the patient can take in after surgery.

This leads to drastic weight loss and, in many cases, the disappearance of many co-morbid conditions.

Causes of Obesity

The direct cause of obesity, or morbid (extreme) obesity, is taking in more calories than the body needs on a daily basis. Behaviors that contribute to this include eating a diet high in sugar and fat and leading a sedentary lifestyle. But obesity is not always triggered by behavioral factors or habits alone.

Genetics is another common cause of obesity; some people are more genetically prone to gaining weight than others. Also, certain environments may lead to unhealthy eating habits and little physical activity.

Health Risks Associated with Obesity

Being overweight can do more than affect one’s appearance; obesity can have a profound impact on the health of many areas of the body, including the heart, lungs, bones, joints, and muscles. Morbid obesity is associated with a high occurrence of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or cholesterol, and arthritis.

Obesity is most commonly associated with the following co-morbid conditions and complications:

• Heart disease • High cholesterol • Sleep Apnea • High blood pressure
• Type 2 diabetes • Osteoarthritis • Hypertension • Fertility or pregnancy
• Hypothyroidism • Urinary incontinence • And more

In addition, obesity can elevate the risk of psychological illnesses such as depression and body dysmorphic disorder. Often, drastic weight loss through bariatric surgery reduces or eliminates these health risks.