New guidelines have dramatically expanded the number of people who are eligible for weight loss surgery.
For decades, a patient’s body mass index had to be 40 or higher to qualify.
A lot has changed in 30 years; for instance, weight loss surgery has become much safer, with the mortality rate falling from three percent to less than point-one percent.
We’ve also learned how effective the surgery can be at essentially curing cases of type 2 diabetes. Across the board, the evidence supported lowering the threshold.
About 42.9% of American adults were classified as obese with a body mass index of 30 or higher.
“As it climbs up and up, with every five increased points in BMI, somebody’s chances of dying goes up by 30%,” said Dr. Kuldeep Singh.
A statistic not lost on Kate Gauss, who, at 5′3 “, used to weigh 270 pounds with a BMI of 47.
“My whole life I had been overweight, and I felt like if I lose that weight, then I lose part of who I am,” said Gauss.
Gauss has diabetes. But even more alarming, her body fat was choking her liver.
“We found that I had an enlarged fatty liver,” Gauss said.
“When somebody realizes that there is a problem with their obesity,” Singh said. “I think they cross a line, either something happened in their life, or something they were doing that they couldn’t do anymore.”
Shortly after that bad news, Gauss’ sugar soared, and she was hit with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. She had weight-loss surgery, bringing her weight down to 148lbs and her BMI to 26 in 18 months.
“The beauty of gastric bypass is that it’s tested for over 60 years,” Singh said.
“Surgery is essentially just a tool, but that’s all it is, it’s a tool,” Gauss said. “You still have to put in the work.”
The tool is now available to more patients.
Weight loss has been found to improve all obesity-related health problems, including heart disease, stroke, cancer, and even sleep apnea.
However, it is still major surgery, and it demands a permanent lifestyle change, so it is something that patients need to consider very carefully, along with their doctor.