Is Weight Loss Surgery Worth It

Weight loss surgery is a growing new trend - called gastrointestinal surgery, this procedure has been around since the late 1950's but has grown in popularity in recent years. Essentially, the stomach is drastically reduced in size using various techniques.

After this reduction, the person is unable to eat that much at a time - this can result in dramatic weight loss, usually averaging about twenty percent in the next two years. But the big question is, is it worth it? There are significant health costs associated with both being obese and with having the surgery. On the one hand, being obese can cause you to have serious heart problems along with health problems in general. On the other, there is a significant risk of death associated with even having the weight loss surgery - the older you get, the higher it is. This doesn't even account for the risk of non-fatal side effects, such as infection, vomiting, ulcers, and nutrient deficiency. Many of these don't even occur until ten years or so after the surgery. Ultimately, the health risks probably aren't worth it - no matter how much you weigh, there are other, less invasive ways to get rid of the weight. People try to rationalize the surgery as getting rid of the health problems of obesity, but these are gradual and often can be avoided with regular exercise, even if you remain obese despite the workout. You need to take a good, hard look at the reasons why you are getting this surgery. For most people, despite what they say about the health risks of obesity, the real reason is vanity: they just can't take being overweight anymore. This just isn't a good reason to risk your life on a surgery like this - you can get the same benefits through diet and hard work, or you can try to work through the self esteem problems with a therapist or friends. You're going to have problems either way, but it's about choosing which ones are the least threatening.

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