The quest to lose weight can be a never-ending battle for many, and for one woman, it was a journey that transformed her life. Tati Amare was joined by Dr. Carl Pesta, from The Bariatric Surgery Institute at McLaren Macomb, to talk about how bariatric surgery helped Stephanie Auch.
Pesta explained that Auch came to the institute with problems not only with weight but she suffered from diabetes and was also dealing with high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Auch also joined Amare in the studio to talk about how the institute helped her lose 230 pounds.
"Everybody struggles with weight, but at a certain point, when your health starts falling apart, it becomes very frightening. The time to manage diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, taking nine medications or more several times a day -- you don't have that time to live your life. When I found out about Dr. Pesta and learned about weight loss surgery, it saved my life," Auch said.
"Bariatric surgery is an operation on the stomach, creating a smaller stomach. It basically helps us control our intake, but it also changes the hormones and how the body interacts with calories and absorption," Pesta ecplained.
Amare asked about how this surgery can help with overall wellness, and Pesta replied, "The weight alone can shorten people's lifespan by maybe 10 to 15 years. The weight that we carry isn't just on our butts, tummy and hips, but it surrounds our organs, and the organs start to break down."
If you are interested in learning more about bariatric surgery, Pesta is holding a seminar Feb. 6, and there are more seminars in the works if you can't make that date. For more information on this procedure and the seminar, and to schedule your first appointment, visit www.mclaren.org/barievents.