What Is Obesity?
Content Provided By Surgical Bariatrics Northwest
Surgical Bariatrics Northwest in Idaho was founded to help fight the epidemic problem of obesity through the application of state-of-the-art obesity surgery and medical treatment methods.
Obesity: A Progressive Disease
Obesity is actually the most common form of malnutrition in the western world. Left untreated, it causes progressive dysfunction of many of our body systems, slowly consuming its victims and leading to premature death. It does not respect gender, race, age or socioeconomic class. The negative impact of obesity is compounded by its association with social discrimination.
Why Obesity Surgery?
Morbid obesity is a very serious form of obesity in Idaho. In this disease, a person has become more than 100 pounds heavier than their ideal body weight (Body mass index of 40 or more). When obesity reaches this level, there is a drastic increase in the associated medical problems (co-morbidities) and a sharp statistical increase in premature death rates.
Unfortunately, efforts at controlling this severe form of obesity by nonsurgical means (diet, exercise, drugs, behavioral modification) tend to be ineffective. More than 75% of patients regain their body weight within a few years of non-surgical treatment.
On the other hand, treating morbid obesity with surgery, although risky, is a highly effective and durable treatment. When a person becomes morbidly obese, the risks of surgery are much lower than the risks of going untreated. In this setting, obesity surgery becomes a reasonable and attractive option.
Medical Conditions Associated With Morbid Obesity:
- Sleep Apnea
- Congestive Heart Failure
- Diabetes mellitus
- Liver dysfunction
- Varicose veins/hemorrhoids
- Leg edema
- Urinary incontinence
- Migraine headaches
- Restrictive lung disease
- Coronary artery disease
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Gallbladder disease
- Elevated cholesterol and triglycerides
- Abdominal wall hernias
- Increased risk of breast, uterine and colon cancer
- Polycystic ovary syndrome
- Pseudotumor cerebri
Attend one of our educational seminars to learn more about having obesity surgery in Idaho. Start your new life today.
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