Facts On Weight Loss Marlborough MA Residents Should Understand

By Anthony Mitchell


The need for losing weight has been with man for many centuries. The oldest methods that have been used have mainly involved making changes on lifestyle behaviors related to diet and physical activity. Although these methods are effective in the majority of people, they tend to take fairly long to produce the desired effects. There are several things on weight loss Marlborough MA residents need to understand if struggling with this problem.

Lifestyle options are usually the starting point. When you first see your doctor with a weight problem, they will advise that you improve on your diet by reducing the amount of fat and protein you consume and increase the amount of fruits and vegetables. The number of servings per meal should be reduced progressively. Replace few heavy meals with smaller meals taken more frequently to avoid ending up with excess calories.

Physical exercise is the other important lifestyle component that should be addressed. Exercise has a role in burning excess calories which would otherwise end up as stored fat in adipose tissue. There are many forms of physical activities which are beneficial. These include jogging, swimming, cycling, running and even brisk walking. If you have not been exercising regularly, start at a low intensity and frequency and increase both steadily over time.

Surgery is used if the lifestyle methods are ineffective. Weight loss surgeries are broadly referred to as bariatric operations. The extent varies depending on the magnitude of the problem and the desired change. The surgeries that are commonly performed include lap band gastric surgery, sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass surgery. In some cases, surgery may be considered from the very beginning such as when serious complications have arisen from excess weight.

Lap band surgery is the commonest of the three because of fewer complications. The modern techniques involve the use of an instrument referred to as a laparoscope. The incisions that are made when performing the operations are smaller than those that are made when using the conventional approach. In this operation, a silicon band is used to compress the stomach and reduce its size which in turn reduces the amount of food that can be eaten in any one instance.

The manner in which sleeve gastrectomy leads to weight loss is the same as what occurs in the case of lap band surgery. The operation is performed by removing as much as 80% of the original stomach effectively converting the organ into a tubular (sleeve-shaped) organ. The main difference between the lap band procedure and sleeve gastrectomy is the fact that the former is reversible while the latter is not.

There are a number of cosmetic surgical operations that may also help in weight reduction. Tummy tuck is among those that have been very beneficial. It involves the removal of excess fat found in the abdominal wall (tummy) and tightening the skin simultaneously. Another important surgery in this category is liposuction which involves the removal of fat in different body parts such as buttocks, thighs, the neck and the abdominal wall.

Weight loss should be considered a process rather than an event. The most effective approach is that which includes several options being tried out simultaneously. Although surgery is used at times, it should come in as a last resort. The conditions that may increase the likelihood of surgery include diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea and gastro-esophageal reflux disease among others.




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