Bariatric surgery 'the best suitable option'
Bariatric surgery represents a major
advance in the treatment of obesity, according to an India-based
expert.
Dr Rajsekhar Nayak, who recently established an obesity clinic at
the Nayak Institute of Gastroenterology, revealed that there are estimated to be
2.1 billion obese people nationwide.
He also emphasised that obesity is
not merely a cosmetic issue, noting that the condition is one of the main causes
of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and some forms of
cancer.
"One needs to consider diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary
artery disease, hyperlipidaemia, and degenerative joint disease, which are all
directly weight related and potentially reversible with bariatric surgery," the
expert said.
"Even cancer (colon cancer, cervical cancer, breast cancer
and oesophageal cancer) is associated with obesity.
"In order to address
the malaise of obesity, bariatric surgery has emerged as the best suitable
option to rid body of excessive fat," Dr Nayak concluded.
There are two
main types of weight loss operation - gastric band surgery, in which a band is
fitted around the stomach to decrease its size, and gastric bypass, which
reduces the absorption of food by bypassing part of the small intestine.
