Weight Loss Surgery: a Becon of Success Against the Odds

Most of us are already aware of the extreme health risks that face the severely obese. Heart attack and stroke are just two of the associated deadly life threatening issues. Though these extreme health concerns are now common knowledge, what is not is the fact that weight loss surgery has been proven to be the only consistent and long term solution to severe obesity. The idea of weight loss surgery may seem extreme to some, but at University Bariatrics, our experienced medical team knows that it's often the best option to save lives.




The statistics on weight loss for the severely obese are staggering. Less than 5% of those who attempt to modify their weight, without surgery, to healthy levels are able to achieve it, or maintain long term success. On the other hand, operations like the sleeve gastrectomy are able to provide the results needed the vast majority of the time, and have even exhibited an ability to put type 2 diabetes into remission in 82% of cases.

With results like these, it's important to realize that weight loss surgery isn't just about working toward a cosmetically appealing body; that it's literally a matter of life and death. Successful operations decrease the mortality rate of the severely obese by a factor of 40.  Though the severely obese face major health risks and are up against considerable odds to make things better, weight loss surgery is proven to be effective and can offer the hope they need. At University Bariatrics, our team performs world class bariatric surgery in Simi Valley and the surrounding areas, and is ready to offer the quality care weight loss patients need. 

Superfoods or Super Marketing?

Imagine if just one or two foods contained almost every nutrient we needed to be at the absolute peak of physical fitness and maybe helped us lose weight. If the choice was between eating a certain berry or getting a gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy, for example, who wouldn't chose eating the berry?

The appeal of the widely hyped "superfoods" is very to see. Still, here at University Bariatrics, we know that the easiest answer is usually not the correct one. If you've been wondering if such trendy and usually expensive products as açaí, chia seed, and goji berries might really offer some special health benefits to deal with everything from diabetes to cancer and heart disease, well, they may have benefits but they're not all that special.

Finding out that most of the trendy alleged superfoods are not much more healthy than the broccoli, oranges, carrots, apples, and bananas we can find at any supermarket is not exciting, but it really seems to be case. The video below from the Australian consumer news program, The Checkout, makes an informative and entertaining case that, especially with highly hyped products that promise the moon, whether it's a berry or a special grain or bean, we should keep our guard very high indeed. While most alleged superfoods are reasonably nutritious, the only thing that's really "super" about them is their marketing.

We truly wish we could prescribe a superfood instead of such highly involved treatments as bariatric surgery in Simi Valley/Thousand Oaks, but we all know that big health changes usually require major effort. Still, finding out the truth behind health hype can be kind of fun. Take a look at the video below and find out more about what really makes a food "super." 

A Decades-Long Journey Toward Weight Loss and Health

In the 1960s, when bariatric surgery began, surgeons would perform the treatment that they believed to be safest and most effective method. Of course, because the surgical procedure was so new, complications would arise from time to time. Today, though, Healthline reports that "the safety and efficacy of weight-loss surgery is widely accepted by groups like the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association."

In fact, recent research has shown that weight-loss surgery can even serve as an effective treatment to severe health issues like type 2 diabetes, as well as dramatically lowering the risk of heart disease. Of course, it's important to remember that even though bariatric surgery is safer and more effective than ever, it is still a surgical treatment that requires the precision and meticulous skill of a proven expert like Dr. Amir Mehran at University Bariatrics.

Dr. Mehran performs treatments like sleeve gastrectomy, Lap Band, and various other bariatric procedures to patients who are looking to enhance their health as well as the quality and length of their lives. Over the course of his career, Dr. Mehran has performed more than 1000 laparoscopic stapled bariatric and general surgery operations. Whether you're looking to undergo sleeve gastrectomy or acquire an adjustable band in Thousand Oaks, contact Dr. Mehran at University Bariatrics today.