Why an obesity operation must be the last resort

It’s sad that we’re resorting increasingly to surgery to tackle obesity. The NHS carried out more than 4,000 weight-loss operations last year – nine times as many as in 2004.

Now a report by research body the Office of Health Economics argues for even more, claiming that more than £1billion could be saved in three years if a quarter of eligible patients were treated.

There may be some argument for being more cost-effective, reducing demands on the NHS, but I take these claims with a pinch of salt.

Government advisory body NICE (the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) states that weight-loss ops such as gastric bands and bypasses should only be used as a last resort. I agree.

To argue just for cost-effectiveness misses the point. This is a surgical remedy for something that should be tackled much earlier in a risk-free, low-cost way.

All operations carry risks, more so when patients are obese. Although relatively low, risks for a band can be serious, including a tear in the stomach wall, blockage, leakage or erosion of the band, plus potentially serious complications from nausea and vomiting if you overeat after the op.

For bypasses, complications may include leaks from the intestine or bowel, bowel obstruction, internal bleeding and clots. Then there are the usual risks of infection and a reaction to the anaesthetic. After both ops, eating a normal range of foods and portion sizes is no longer possible.

Yet, when people are given the right information, help and support, they can lose weight through lifestyle. A study of 20,000 people by the Medical Research Council concluded that, regardless of genes, lifestyle changes can shift a lot of excess weight.

I’m not suggesting losing weight is easy. There are many reasons people struggle, ranging from a lack of guidance and poor childhood habits to emotional issues.

But I think far more needs to be done to address obesity earlier. We need to start with better education about healthy eating in schools and more exercise in the curriculum.

More primary care trusts should issue prescriptions for exercise and weight-loss groups such as WeightWatchers and Slimming World. These clubs tackle the cause of obesity, educating their members and giving them the support they need to change their behaviour.

The Medical Research Council has found that people referred to WeightWatchers lost 15lb in a year compared with 9lb for those who had just seen their doctor.

People see celebs who’ve lost lots of weight with a band and think it’s a magic bullet. It’s not. We need to tackle why people overeat in the first place – something surgery doesn’t do.

Via : mirror.co.uk

Sleep Deprivation Increases Risk of Teenage Obesity

A new study has found that teenagers who don’t get enough sleep on weeknights are more likely to eat fatty foods that put them at risk for obesity and other health related problems.

The sleep study, published in the September issue of Sleep, involved 240 American teenagers ages 16 to 19. It suggest that teenagers who sleep for less than eight hours a night eat more fatty foods snacks compared with those who get more than eight hours. The new study also revealed that getting too little sleep can result in chronic changes in the diet that can increase the risk of obesity, especially in girls.

“There’s been a lot of research over the last five years implicating insufficient sleep with obesity. Some experimental studies on sleep deprivation in controlled laboratory environments show a craving for fatty foods among the participants who got less sleep”, said study author Dr. Susan Redline, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

The researchers explained that lack of sleep can affect metabolism by changing the level of appetite which over time can alter energy balance and increase the risk of obesity. They also concluded that sleep might be the missing link in the fight against obesity, which has focused solely on diet and exercise.

Via : dailyrosetta.com

BC Developing Better Ovarian Cancer Treatment

The agency of Oncology, British Columbia suggested including the removal or ligation of fallopian tubes
in hysterectomy to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer
.

The gynecologic oncologist Sarah Finlayson Vancouver General Hospital said that research done in the province show that in half of cases of fatal ovarian cancer, the tumor developed in the tubes. By changing the procedures during hysterectomy, she believes that the number of deaths could be reduced by 30-50% in 20 years.

Each year, nearly 50,000 surgical removal of the uterus are made in the country.

Recent studies have shown that 18% of women with ovarian cancer in British Columbia had undergone a hysterectomy who had left their fallopian tubes intact. The researchers believe that their removal would have prevented the disease.

In addition, researchers in the province have discovered that in 20% of cases, ovarian cancer was caused by a genetic mutation. According to them, tests by members of the family of a patient would identify women at risk of developing this type of cancer.

Via : eontarionow.com

Nearly three-quarters of Ontario adults are obese or overweight

Nearly three-quarters of adults in Ontario are overweight or obese and have a strong occurrence of high blood pressure, according to new research that adds to the evidence linking weight and heath. 

Ottawa researchers found that about one in four adults were obese and almost half of them overweight, with high blood pressure affecting one-third of both obese men and women. 

The findings come a day after the Canadian Diabetes Association indicated that the prevalence of diabetes had risen sharply over the past 10 years and, if action isn’t taken, it could cost Ontario $7-billion by 2020.

Frans Leenen, lead author of the study from Ottawa, said Thursday that a similar price tag could be attached to high blood pressure. Overweight adults are often ignored because they have become the norm in society, but Dr. Leenen said this will burden the health-care system. 

“Some changes are happening of course … but it will probably have to be a little more intense and a little bit faster,” said Dr. Leenen, a professor of medicine at the University of Ottawa and director of the hypertension unit at the university’s Heart Institute. 

The study, published in the American Journal of Hypertension, examined more than 2,500 Ontarians between the ages of 20 and 79. The researchers measured weight and height to calculate BMI (an approximation of body fat), and they assessed blood pressure. 

They found that only 14 per cent of men with a normal BMI had high blood pressure, compared with 19 per cent of those who were overweight and 36 per cent who were obese. The figures were similar among women, and Dr. Leenen said the pattern is likely comparable across Canada. 

“More strategies are needed to deal with the overweight-obesity epidemic,” he said. 

Via : theglobeandmail.com