As a doctor and scientist, I dislike today’s tendency to exaggerate the efficacy of medical advances and I have a special aversion to claims for the various pills and potions promising weight loss “miracles”. The worst recent example is the gastric “hypno-band” which I have commented on in a previous blog, but in the area of weight loss there are examples of “junk science” almost every day of the week. Part of the problem is that when people don’t have a scientific background, it’s very difficult for them to distinguish between a genuine medical advance and another over-hyped piece of nonsense. But in the case of weight loss surgery and type 2 diabetes, the claim of a cure is not an exaggeration.
The association between obesity and type II diabetes has been recognised for many years, with around 70% of diabetics being overweight or obese. In fact the link is so strong that the term “diabesity” has been coined to describe the association between the two. The good news is that most of the available weight loss procedures, gastric banding and gastric bypass in particular, appear to have a consistent beneficial effect on type 2 diabetes, with cure rates of between 50-85%. Read more
So, if you are an obese type 2 diabetic and you have weight problems, it might be worth thinking about surgery as a way of helping manage your diabetes. It may well be the best decision you ever make.
