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Media - the kindest cut of all? |
News 27
June 2000 19 January 2009
This
site is not meant to replace your Doctor's advice. The advice on this
site is from other wls patients and may not be relevent in your case or
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Beating
obesity: the kindest cut of all? Australia is a nation where obesity is rife. Eight percent of us are described by medical professionals as being dangerously overweight and more and more Australians are desperately seeking a solution to their weight problems. However, the experts all agree that the only technique that will guarantee sustained weight loss in all cases is surgery. Melbourne housewife Vicky Lee is one person who has gone under the knife in the name of shedding excess kilograms and is living testament to the success of one technique. In just one short year, Vicky has shed 60 kilograms and halved her dress size.  She described her obesity as like having a major disability because there were so many normal activities in which she was unable to participate. The secret to Vicky's success - the "lap band". Invented by Paul O'Brien, Professor of Surgery at Monash University, the lap band is a plastic ring that is surgically implanted into the patient. The lap band squeezes the top of the stomach with the effect of reducing the appetite. Professor O'Brien says the most important function of the lap band is not its physiological effects but its psychological effects. "It shifts the person's focus away from eating so that they can concentrate on other things", says Professor O'Brien. "It just takes away the feeling that they really need to eat." There are some who disagree with the lap band being promoted as the great weight loss panacea and the following negatives have been publicised by its critics: + the person may not receive the correct nutrients because of under eating. + the procedure is discouraging - it doesn't put the patient in charge of the weight loss program. + the complex reasons behind the weight gain are not addressed and deep-seated psychological problems may remain. + the obvious risks attendant upon any major surgical procedure. Professor O'Brien is frank about the risks involved and says that one in 10 may have complications as a result of the surgery. Some may even die. These admissions have not stopped the formation of a queue of obese Australians desperate to lose weight. Most admit that the extra weight they carry is a greater risk to their health than the surgery and would rather take their chances on the operating table than the almost certain early death that is caused by obesity. The procedure costs privately insured patients approximately $2,500. Others will have to save $8,000 - and that's a lot of cheeseburgers! From the ACA website
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