Lap Band Surgery: Who is it For?

By Amy Nutt


Lap band surgery is not for people who are slightly overweight, the procedure is for people who are obese and need to lose weight for health reasons. High cholesterol, heart disease, liver disease; even various forms of cancer can result from obesity. That's why the lap band procedure is becoming an increasingly popular solution for weight loss for people struggling with obesity.

The amount of success stories of people who went through the lap band diet is unbelievable! Even some of the most popular celebrities in the world have embraced the lap band diet and the results have for the most parts have been outstanding. There have obviously been some complications in a few cases, but that's a topic for another time. In this post we're going to focus on who qualifies for lap band surgery, in order to qualify for the procedure, a person should have:

* A Body Mass Index (BMI) of above 40, which translates to those who are 100 pounds (45 kg) or more over their estimated ideal weight * Age between 18 and 55 years (although in some reported cases, doctors have worked outside these ages, some patients have been as young as 12) * Must have failed all other weight weight-loss drug therapies * History of obesity (generally 5 years or more). * Should understand the scope of the procedure, and should comply with the substantial lifelong dietary restrictions required for long term success. * Acceptable operative risk.

All these features indicate that the lap band surgery is not for people struggling to lose a few pounds, it is for people who are severely overweight, (>100 lbs) have a history of obesity, and have not been able to lose the wight by any other means of weight loss and/or weight loss drug therapy treatment over the span of the 5 years. People need to keep that in mind when they think that the lap band procedure will be the solution to their weight loss struggles.

The lap band diet also needs to be taken into account. The 2nd last point about how the lap band patient or candidate needs to fully understand the scope of the procedure simply cannot be overlooked. The lap band patient, after having the surgery, will have to change their historical eating habits.

Yes, the lap band does assist in reducing the intake of your food, bit if you're still eating candy, soft drinks/pop, and fast food then you really can't expect to lose any weight and you have basically just wasted your investment in the lap band procedure.

So it's very important to remember that the lap band procedure is not just a one-time surgery and BAM you're 100 lbs lighter; that would not be healthy! Instead the lap band procedure is a combination of the surgery together with a lifestyle change that involves following the lap band diet and an exercise program. The procedure is widely successful, and the risks are very minimal, and if worse comes to worse the entire lap band and gastric banding is reversible. So this list just summarizes which people the lap band surgery would be applicable for, but remember that the process also involves a healthier lifestyle change as well!

About the Author:
Lap band blog is an online resource for information on the lap band diet and procedure.

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