Why Does Bariatric Surgery Work For Weight Loss When Diet Changes Don’t?

Bariatric surgery is often a last resort for patients who have either tried and failed to lose weight with diet, medications, and exercise or quickly regained the kilograms they fought hard to lose for months or years. Diet and exercise may not work for you for various reasons, including genetics and hormones. Weight loss surgery induces significant weight loss by reducing the stomach’s capacity or size with lap band surgery, gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, or another procedure. Dr. V Kuzinkovas is a certified bariatric surgeon in Sydney, and he explains why obesity surgery works when diet changes don’t. 

Bariatric Surgery Works on Chemical and Mechanical Levels

Whether restricting carbs or counting calories, diet programs create a daily calorie deficit, so you expend more calories than you consume. Bariatric surgery limits calories in other ways, such as removing a large portion of the stomach or placing a band around the stomach organ. However, bariatric surgery takes it several steps further by altering gut hormones, resetting the metabolism, and causing malabsorption to stop food calories from being absorbed. These chemical and hormonal changes work when diet and exercise fail to achieve results.  

Diets Don’t Fail Because of A “Lack of Willpower”

Most patients seeking bariatric surgery have spent years, even decades, trying to lose weight and keep it off. However, their lack of results isn’t due to willpower. Weight loss that takes one year can be undone in just a few months because the body reduces the metabolic rate to stop weight loss. Bariatric surgery overrides that by altering the digestive tract.

Bariatric surgery is one of the most effective healthcare interventions. People who have had weight loss surgery often say they wish they had pursued bariatric surgery 10 years sooner because they achieved astronomical weight loss and maintained their smaller size without the limitations of their metabolism.

Health Conditions May Prevent Weight Loss with Diet and Exercise

Some men and women may not achieve weight loss with diet and exercise because of one or more health conditions, such as diabetes. Bariatric surgery can overcome that obstacle and may even cure or move the condition into remission. Some procedures normalize blood sugar, lower blood pressure, improve blood lipid levels, and cure sleep apnea. These weight loss surgeries can put Type 2 diabetes into remission and may slow or stop life-threatening damage to the blood vessels and heart. These health improvements are seen even in patients who don’t lose the expected weight after gastric bypass or gastric sleeve because the alterations to the digestive system offer metabolic benefits.

Research Shows Bariatric Surgery Offers Long-Term Benefits and Better Health

Some studies have followed patients five to 25 years after bariatric surgery to examine the long-lasting benefits and results. That research shows bariatric surgery patients have a much higher quality of life than similar patients who did not have weight loss surgery. They enjoy better emotional, physical, and social scores and experience fewer problems with pain, daily activities, social interactions, anxiety, depression, and mobility. A study of 2,500 surgical patients found that those who underwent bariatric surgery lived up to 14 years longer than those who did not have the procedure.

If you have tried and failed to lose weight or maintain weight loss, schedule a consultation with our certified bariatric surgeon to discuss your options. Contact Advanced Surgicare at one of our offices in Sydney at 1300-551-533.