The study analyzed the knees of 24 patients who underwent bariatric (weight loss) surgery. Their condition was evaluated before the bariatric surgery and at periods 6 months and 12 months after the operation. Within the 6 month period, participants had lost an average of 57 pounds. Along with a general quality-of-life improvement and enhanced function, they also reported a reduction in knee pain and stiffness.

“Each individual had some kind of improvement in their pain from losing weight, some more than others, said Christopher Edwards, one of the study authors.

Findings of this study were planned for a presentation at Saturday’s specialty day program by the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.

The total cost was based on a combination of increased medical costs, mortality, disability and decreased productivity. The findings were revealed through a systematic review of nearly 500 research articles written over the past 30 years.

“There is substantial evidence that overweight and obesity are becoming world-wide epidemics, and are having negative impacts on health and mortality,” said researcher Don Behan. The Society is reportedly working with health insurance companies to create better incentives for consumers to work toward healthy lifestyles.

As the obesity epidemic becomes more widespread and healthcare costs rise, more people are turning to bariatric surgery as part of their a weight loss solution. Last month, the FDA announced that they were reviewing the approval indications for the laparoscopic gastric band to determine if patients with a lower body mass index (30-35 BMI) could benefit.

In addition to the popular lap band, patients considering bariatric surgery can choose from the comparable Realize Band®, Gastric Bypass or the Gastric Sleeve. Although bariatric surgery is not suitable for every obese or overweight person, these procedures are now one of the many possible solutions for the growing problem of obesity in America.

Before and after photos of a Lap Band patient (image courtesy of Allergan.com)

Allergan Inc. announced that an FDA Advisory Committee has recommended with an 8-2 vote that the FDA extend the currently approved use of the company’s Lad Band® System, used for weight loss surgery, to patients that have a body mass index below 40.

The Lap Band, which is an inflatable silicone device that gets placed on the upper portion of the stomach, limiting the patient’s intake of food and suppressing hunger, is currently indicated for patients with:

• BMI of 40 or higher
• BMI of 35 or higher combined with a health problem such as diabetes or high blood pressure

The change would make the Lap Band available to patients who are at BMI of 35 or higher or patients with a BMI of 30 or higher and at least one additional weight-related health problem.

The FDA committee’s decision came after a five-year study of 149 obese patients treated with the Lap Band that found over 80 percent lost at least 30 percent of their weight after one year.

The FDA will make a final decision on the wider use, but the agency typically follows the advice of its advisory panels, according to an msnbc article.

Wider approval could make millions more people eligible for the Lap Band surgery. About 15 million Americans are candidates under the current guidelines for use and about 27 million more fit under the broader group, Allergan said.

To learn more about the Lap Band procedure and to discuss whether you are a good candidate, contact the Advanced Cosmetic Surgery office of Dr. Frenzel to schedule a consultation.

Bariatric surgery, such as gastric bypass, is an effective obesity treatment, but its effects on cognition have not been well studied, says Strain.

Her study compared 120 bariatric surgery patients (most with gastric bypass and some with lap band) and 60 obese patients who had not undergone surgery. Participants were tested for attention, executive function, memory and language skills before and after surgery, within a 12-week period.

For attention, executive function and language, there were no changes during that three months for the patients, according to Strain. However, there was improvement in memory among the bariatric surgery patients, which was not found in the comparison group.

It’s not clear why the patients’ memories improved. “Bariatric patients have an increased incidence of depressive disorders and anxiety and sedentary lifestyles,” Strain says. As they lose weight, that depression may lift, perhaps explaining the improvement in cognitive skills, she says.

More information about this study is available on WebMD.

They estimated that about a third of Americans are obese or at least 30 pounds overweight.

One option for the overweight and obese is bariatric surgery. Through a bariatric procedure, such as lap band or gastric bypass, patients can achieve a significant weight reduction, as well as an improvement in general health. Weight loss surgery works by limiting the amount of food a person can consume.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons highlighted one of the health benefits. It found that obese women who have weight loss surgery before they get pregnant are three times less likely to develop gestational diabetes and are also less likely to require a cesarean section.

The researchers compared rates of gestational diabetes among 346 obese women who had bariatric surgery before pregnancy and 354 obese women who had bariatric surgery after delivery.

The study found:

• Rates of gestational diabetes were 8 percent for those who had the surgery before pregnancy
• Rates of gestational diabetes were 27 percent for those who had the surgery after delivery
• Rates of cesarean delivery were 28 percent for those who had the surgery before pregnancy
• Rates of cesarean delivery were 43 percent for those who had the surgery after delivery

Most of the women who underwent weight loss surgery did not wait the recommended two years afterwards before delivering a baby, noted senior author Dr. Martin Makary, an associate professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and his colleagues.

Texas tied with Ohio for 13^th place in a list of states with the highest obesity rates for adults. Both states have an obesity rate of 29 percent; the state with the highest rate of obesity was Mississippi, where 33.8% of adults are obese. For historical perspective, no state had an obesity rate above 20 percent in 1991. Colorado has the lowest obesity rate of any state, at 19.1 percent.

Given the obesity epidemic in the U.S., more people are turning to bariatric surgery to help lose weight.

The most common weight loss surgery is gastric bypass, which divides the stomach into a small pouch. The surgery reduces the size of the stomach so that the patient feels satisfied with less food. In addition to eating less, you will also absorb less food, leading to significant weight loss.

A lap band is another bariatric surgery option, in which a silicone band gets placed on the upper portion of the stomach, limiting the intake of food and suppressing hunger. The advantage of the lap band is that it is adjustable, which allows for a moderate progression of weight loss.

The gastric sleeve is a newer type of bariatric surgery where a portion of the stomach is surgically removed so that it takes the form of a sleeve. This process results in hunger suppression and brings about a gradual, significant weight loss.

For those battling obesity, Dr. Frenzel in is an expert in the field of bariatric surgery and has offices in Arlington and Dallas, Texas. He performs several bariatric surgieries, as well as post-bariatric body lifts in which excess skin and tissue, which is often present after significant weight loss, is reduced, and the skin is tightened to improve the body shape.

Last week in Austin TX, trainers from the American College of Sports Medicine met for 14th annual Health and Fitness Summit, where they discussed the best exercise programs for bariatric surgery patients – those who undergo gastric bypass, lap band or realize band surgery.

Fitness experts Paul Sorace, M.S., and Adam de Jong, M.A gave the following recommendations:

Aerobic exercise

• The core of the post-bariatric exercise program
• Burns the most calories
• Good way to ease into physical activity

Resistance training

• should be limited (especially in abdomen), but great to combine with aerobic exercise
• increase muscle mass and quickens fat loss in post-bariatric surgery patients

Flexibility exercise

• good to improve range of motion – use caution to prevent injury

Read more from the American College of Sports Medicine

What is bariatric surgery?

Bariatric surgery, in its various forms, alters or removes parts of the stomach to induce weight loss. Patients who undergo bariatric surgery typically have a BMI of 35 or greater.  Popular procedures include the following:

• The Lap Band – an inflatable silicone device that is placed on the upper portion of your stomach, effectively limiting food intake and suppressing hunger.

• Gastric Bypass – surgery that divides the stomach to create a small pouch, which gets connected to a loop of the small intestine. By reducing stomach size, the patient is satisfied a smaller amount of food.