This blog is commentary for the article from news.com.au: Gastric banding puts squeeze on wallets as well as on tummies.
Reading the news I paid particular interest to this article, stating that in the midst of an obesity epidemic more Australians are turning to physical gastric band bypass surgery. The article goes on to say that: “The study found patients who had surgery more than a decade ago managed to maintain an average weight loss of more than 25 kilos.” However it also mentions that: “…more than half of gastric band patients required follow-up surgery, with those who have experienced it saying it’s a last resort treatment.”
So the results are there, but at what cost?
1. Monetary cost: The article states “While surgery may seem expensive (with prices typically more than $10,000)…” $10 000 and usually more from what I have seen, is a lot of money to pay for this surgery.
2. The cost on your body: Losing weight is going to help make you healthier, but going under the knife and having internal surgery is going to leave another significant cost both mentally and physically. Especially if as the article suggests, most people have to go back for follow-up surgery.
Now, I am not undermining the efficacy of physical gastric band surgery, as the obesity epidemic demands something drastic to be done. What I am questioning here is in relation to my specialty, which is essentially producing the same effects and results, but without the surgery. I know the success rates from my own clients are very high. So are that of my colleagues in other parts of Australia who use the same methods. I just think with this in mind, it may be good to at least first consider the virtual gastric band procedure, before spending all that money and going under the knife.
Why are more people turning to gastric band surgery then?
I think this is because people in modern-day Australia, like most of the world, are all after that quick fix. With such busy schedules and busy lives, we all want everything. And we want it now. The same goes for weight loss. However, it is for this same reason that the obesity epidemic is occurring. We are all too pressured and time poor to look after ourselves properly – physically, mentally and emotionally. So as society changes, obesity becomes more prominent. Such drastic measures to fix things with surgery become more common. To me it is a vicious cycle. I always say about my Kilo Loss program that it is weight management, rather then weight loss. It is all about re-managing your lifestyle to manage your weight. My system helps control appetite naturally, so you can save your willpower for other more important things then eating too much.
In Conclusion
I think I would have to partly agree with Susie Burrell, a Sydney nutritionist who was quoted in the article as saying: “It’s simply an option that may suit a certain group of people.” However if you are reading this blog, I would just like to suggest that you possibly explore other options first, including my Kilo Loss service in Sydney, before committing yourself to full surgery.
