Obesity affects your whole life – your physical health, your family life, your emotional well-being and your self-image. If you've tried diets, exercise, supplements or medications and been disappointed, it's time for a real solution. Woman's is here to help.
From education and evaluation, to surgery and beyond, we'll help you reach and maintain your healthy weight.
Morbid obesity is a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more, which is roughly equal to 80 pounds or more over ideal body weight for a woman. Morbid obesity affects basic physical functions such as breathing and walking.
Long-term effects of the disease include:
- Shorter life expectancy
- Weight-related health problems (co-morbid conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease)
- A lower quality of life with fewer economic and social opportunities
Causes of morbid obesity are multiple and complex — it’s not simply a result of overeating. In many cases, underlying causes of morbid obesity are genetic, environmental and social.
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measurement tool that compares your height to your weight. It gives you an indication of whether you are overweight, underweight or at a healthy weight for your height.
- Underweight: Your BMI is less than 18
- Healthy weight: Your BMI is 18.5 to 24.9
- Overweight: Your BMI is 25 to 29.9
- Obese: Your BMI is 30 or higher
You could be a candidate for surgical weight loss if you:
- Are more than 100 pounds over your ideal body weight
- Have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 40
- Have a BMI of over 35 and are experiencing severe negative health effects, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, related to being severely overweight
- Are unable to achieve a healthy body weight for a sustained period of time, even through medically supervised dieting
Weight loss (bariatric) surgery is a procedure that makes the stomach smaller so you feel satisfied with less food. It’s for people who are morbidly obese and have not had success with other weight loss therapies such as diet, exercise and medications.
Bariatric surgery is not cosmetic surgery and it does not involve the surgical removal of adipose (fat) tissue.
For success, candidates need to understand the risks of bariatric surgery and be committed to long-term nutritional and lifestyle changes.
There are three basic types of surgery:
- Restrictive surgery reduces the size of the stomach so you feel full quickly and learn to eat less to feel satisfied.
- Malabsorptive surgery shortens the first part of the small intestine so your body absorbs fewer calories and you lose weight.
- Combined restrictive and malabsorptive surgery reduces both the size of the stomach and the length of the small intestine.
No matter which surgery you and your doctor decide is best for you, you can be sure that Woman’s is here to help you through your weight loss journey.