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| Services must accommodate obese people with specialist equipment such as much wider chairs. Bakewell J (2007). “Bariatric furniture: Considerations for use.”. Int J Ther Rehabil (7) : 329–33 . . (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Obesity is a problem in the United States. According to USA Today: “Obesity affects more than one-third of U.S. adults and almost
one in five children, or more than 12 million kids.” Obesity impacts a person’s health in a number of ways, including onset of diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, and hyperlipidemia. When you couple the health effects with socioeconomic and psychological implications like cost of food, cost of clothes, travel comfort (having to buy two seats on an airplane or trying to fit into theater seats), increased cost of health insurance, employment restrictions, social isolation, loneliness, negative self-esteem, then it is no wonder that many obese individuals will seek to qualify for bariatric surgery. The procedure is often considered life saving, as health statistics indicate that 400,000 US deaths per year are attributed to obesity.
CBS News reports:
“More than 200,000 stomach-reducing surgeries are performed each year. Gastric
bypass, also called stomach-stapling, is the most common and generally results
in more weight loss than other methods. The benefits of gastric bypass surgery
include sometimes reducing diabetes and heart disease risks.”
This week the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study that suggests that bariatric surgery may cause problem drinking. We have provided links below to a number of related articles dealing with the study’s results.
To learn more about the process of bariatric surgery and problem drinking, watch an ABC World News report:
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If you are having trouble viewing the video, see it here. Like most life changing medical procedures, including organ transplants, cosmetic surgeries, chemotherapy, even childbirth…education before the procedure is vital for a more positive outcome. Take the time to learn about all side effects and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
