Considering Quality of Life

A study that came out recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) underlined the fact that we've pretty much come to the point where the very small risks of bariatric surgery are far outweighed by the truly substantial risks of living with severe obesity. More importantly, as we see every day here at University Bariatrics, the long term benefits of weight loss accomplished with the help of metabolic surgery are undeniable.

Still when considering a procedure like a sleeve gastrectomy or a gastric bypass, people tend to forget about some of the longer term quality of life issues surrounding obesity, particularly those that may impact us in our later years. Yes, most of us are keenly aware of the shorter term physical and social benefits of losing weight -- and it's only human for us to focus on more immediate results. However, anyone who's been around an older relative dealing with some of the less discussed impacts of obesity knows just how harrowing they can be, and might better understand the benefits of taking action earlier in life.

For example, while most people are aware that excess weight is an important risk factor for heart attacks and strokes, we usually have only a vague sense of what that actually means beyond the risk of death. Surviving a stroke, for example, is usually a very long and painful process, especially for older victims who may already be frail. Even less well known is the kidney disease that often accompanies type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Losing kidney function and going on dialysis at any age is something that's hard to imagine until you see it before your own eyes, and it doesn't become any easier as we older. Obesity also worsens such common and painful conditions as arthritis. This may not sound particularly frightening, but severe chronic pain is obviously going to hugely impair anyone's ability to enjoy their life and be healthy.

When considering a procedure such as a sleeve or a gastric bypass in Thousand Oaks, don't simply consider the shorter term benefits or even the risk of premature death. The fact of the matter is that medical science has gotten extremely good at extending life even for many people with multiple health issues. As more and more of us can expect to make it well into our eighties and beyond, even with fairly severe obesity, the issue of the overall quality of life as you go into your later years is increasingly crucial.