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Obesity — the condition of being significantly above one’s healthy weight — is a health crisis in Alabama. Across our state, the number of overweight and obese individuals is rapidly increasing. In fact, almost 65% of the population of Alabama is overweight or obese. It is the second most common cause of preventable death in the United States, and may lead to life-threatening illnesses, called co-morbidities, such Type II diabetes, cancer, heart conditions, and hypertension.

Unsurprisingly, Alabama also leads the nation in adults suffering from high blood pressure, with 31% of Alabamians diagnosed with the condition compared to 24.9% nationally according to a 2002 study by the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC),. And Alabama’s adult diabetes rate of 10.5% was the highest in America, more than double the 5% rate in 50th-ranked Minnesota.

Getting Fit

Something has to be done to stop the epidemic of obesity in our state. Unfortunately, obesity can be one of the most difficult diseases to treat. Weight loss itself is a simple matter: once a person’s daily caloric intake falls below the number of calories needed, the body begins to burn fat to stay alive, resulting in weight loss. The difficulty comes in restricting caloric intake – the primal urge to eat when hungry is almost irresistible.

Many people who suffer from obesity also have disordered relationships with food, consuming food  to quell uncomfortable emotions rather than for nutrition or the pleasure of eating. In fact, many among the obese in our state are food addicts, plagued by a constant desire to eat even when they are not hungry.

Obesity is not a character flaw. It is a medical condition requiring medical treatment. Sadly, the pain and emotional trauma of obesity often leads those with the disease to attempt self-treatment. Many obese persons try to lose their excess weight by means of gimmicks, fad diets, exercise programs, or so-called weight-loss pills.  These efforts lead some to lose significant weight, but most quickly regain it after they discontinue their weight loss program. Many people suffer damage to their health as a result of such quickie “cures”.

No miracle cure for obesity exists. The only way to successfully treat the disease of obesity is through medical care, based upon a complete change in the patient’s lifestyle and eating habits. To beat obesity we must change the way Alabamans think about and relate to food, enabling us to eat better food and less of it.

For most of us, education, counseling, support, and willpower are enough to accomplish this. For the rest, another option exists: weight loss surgery.

About Weight Loss Surgery

Weight loss surgery is performed under general anesthesia. Most procedures are performed laparoscopically, though some may need to be performed through open surgery. The three main types of weight loss surgery are malabsorptive, restrictive, and combination, each with different risks and benefits. In each, however, the principle is the same: to surgically alter the patient’s stomach and/or digestive tract in order to physically limit the amount of food the patient can eat at a given time. If successful, the surgical alterations will cause the patient to take in fewer calories each day than he or she burns, resulting in steady, safe weight loss.

Weight loss surgery can be a true lifesaver. However, it is not a magic cure for obesity; only a complete change in the patient’s lifestyle and relationship to food can cure the disease. Patients who fail to follow postoperative instructions may regain any weight lost or reach a weight-loss plateau over time. The decision to undergo weight loss surgery is also irrevocable; currently, only the Lap-band procedure is reversible.

Those considering bariatric surgery as an option for the management of obesity should carefully weigh the risks and possible outcomes of these procedures in consultation with their physician prior to making a decision.

Alabama can win the war on obesity, but it will take time, money, and the will to win. By educating ourselves, supporting one another, and using weight loss surgery as a weapon of last resort, we can make our state healthier, happier, and a better place in which to live.

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An epidemic is raging in our state: the obesity epidemic. Across South Dakota, the number of overweight and obese individuals is rapidly increasing. In the Mount Rushmore State almost 63% of adults are overweight or obese.

This epidemic is costing South Dakotans more than just their health – it’s costing them money. According to recent data from the U.S. Public Health Service Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the cost to the taxpayer for obesity-related expenditures in our state amounts to over $195 million annually.

And of course the costs of obesity are not limited to dollars and cents. People die from obesity (and related illnesses called co-morbidities) every day. Thousands of South Dakotans with diabetes, cancer, heart conditions, and hypertension suffer as a result these obesity-related illnesses.

Obesity Defined

A person who is significantly above their healthy weight is said to be obese.  Healthy weight is calculated in terms of individual body mass index (BMI), but actuarial tables generated from insurance industry statistics are used to determine the actual healthy weight in pounds for persons of various ages, builds, and heights. Your doctor can go over these data with you to determine if you are obese, clinically overweight, or at a healthy weight.

Many of those suffering from obesity have tried everything to lose weight – celebrity diets, brutal exercise regimens, even those snake-oil “medicines” advertised on late-night TV. Some who have tried these methods have lost weight, true, but many others have accomplished nothing other than ruining their health.

Gimmicks are not a safe weight loss option. The only safe way to lose weight is to eat less and become more physically active. Medically-supervised diet and lifestyle modification programs are the ideal way to do this. For some, however, education, counseling, support, and willpower are not enough. Weight loss surgery stands as their weapon of last resort in the war against obesity.

The Surgical Option

When all else fails, doctors can counter a patient’s obesity by physically limiting the amount of food – and thus calories – that he or she can consume. Surgical weight loss – also known as bariatric surgery — has been proven to help ease (and in some cases completely resolve) obesity-related health problems, as well as lessening their chances of developing weight-related health problems in the future. The procedures (there are three types) are performed under general anesthesia, most laparoscopically.

Making the decision

Weight loss surgery is not a cure-all for being fat. Patients must be prepared for a complete change in lifestyle for the surgery to have the desired long-term effect. Those patients who fail to follow postoperative instructions may regain any weight lost. These operations also involve certain risks, which include infection, nutritional deficiencies, ulcers, hernias, and gallstones. Obese patients should always consult with their physician before making any decision regarding surgical weight loss.

Considering Surgical Weight Loss

We South Dakotans are an individualistic people. Each of us must seek our own best method of staying at a healthy weight. For some, weight loss surgery is that method. We should each consider all the options, and then make an informed decision about our own strategy in the war on obesity in South Dakota.

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