Those who have had gastric band surgery in order to lose weight may be at risk of low self-esteem, relationship problems and could be dissatisfied with their body image, so says new research being presented at the Diabetes UK Annual Professional Conference.
University of the West of England and Southmead Hospital, Bristol, monitored 25 participants, aged 30 to 58, and recorded their experience 12 months post op. 64 per cent of the patients had Type 2 diabetes .
Even though the participants people who took part in the study reported significant health benefits like enhanced blood glucose levels and lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels, they also found that living with the gastric band had a strong, negative psychological impact on their daily lives.
Most of the respondents reported that having a gastric band was as difficult as having to diet and that losing the opportunity to eat as a way of coping left them struggling to deal with distressing life events.
Lead researcher Dr Andrew Johnson from Southmead Hospital said: "Our findings show that having a gastric band fitted should not be seen as the easy option when it comes to losing weight . This operation has a strong psychological impact as well as a physical one and we found that regular psychological support is needed to help people cope with the realities of having the device fitted."
It makes best sense to lose weight by following a healthy, balanced diet, high in fruit and veg, low in fat, salt and sugar, combined with exercise . Weight loss surgery is a way of losing lots of weight for those who are obese .
The surgery does have serious related risks and ought to be considered should repeated efforts to lose weight via diet and lifestyle changes have proved unsuccessful. This new research also highlights that there may be psychological consequences to having this procedure and patients ought to be informed of these when considering surgery.
The NHS Information Centre recently released figures highlighting a 55 per cent increase in those having weight loss surgery, like having a gastric band fitted or stomach stapling , between 2006/07 and 2008/09, from 1,950 to 4,220.
Weight Loss Surgery Could Lead to Psychological Distress
Mon, 08 Mar 2010
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