The health of millions of people worldwide is being threatened by an obesity epidemic. Despite the growing obesity awareness, there has been a considerable increase in the number of seriously overweight, or severely obese, people all over the world. The adjustable gastric band (Lap Band) is a safe and effective way to lose weight in conjunction with a sensible life style.

Obesity is an excess of total body fat, which results from caloric intake that exceeds energy usage. A measurement used to assess health risks of obesity is the Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is calculated by dividing body weight (lb.) by height in inches squared (in2) and multiplying that amount by 704.5. The metric calculation for BMI is kg/m2.

The ideal Body Mass Index (BMI) is between 19 and 25. If you have a Body Mass Index of between 25 and 30, you are considered to be overweight. At a BMI of 30 or over, you are considered obese. A BMI of 40 or more indicates severe or "morbid" obesity. Click here to find out your BMI.
Obesity (Body Mass Index of 30 or higher) substantially increases the risk of serious health problems such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, as well as endometrial, breast, prostate and colon cancers. Losing excess weight is very important for improving health and well-being.
Popular weight-loss methods such as exercising, dieting, and appetite-suppressing drugs, can work for some people in the short term. But over the long term, these methods don't work for everyone. Some people quickly regain the weight they lose on a diet, and some end up weighing even more. Drugs that make you feel less hungry do not usually produce weight loss that lasts.

According to the American Obesity Association, over 125 million American adults are overweight - they have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 or more. Of these, 60 million American adults are obese (BMI of 30 or more) and 9 million are morbidly obese (BMI of 40 or more, also known as severe obesity).

People who are obese are at higher risk for developing several weight-related health problems. Excess weight is associated with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, conditions that can also increase the risk of heart disease, congestive heart failure, or stroke. Overweight people are twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes, and may have more difficulty controlling blood sugar levels. Obesity is associated with an increased risk for several types of cancer, such as cancer of the breast, uterus, colon, gallbladder, and kidney. Excess weight increases the risk of certain respiratory conditions, such as asthma, decreased lung volume, and sleep apnea. Some other medical complications of obesity include: gallstones, gout, osteoarthritis in the weight-bearing joints, reflux, stress incontinence, back pain, and infertility. The estimated direct health care costs of obesity were $102.2 billion in 1999.
Surgery for Severe Obesity: Laparoscopic Banding Obesity is most commonly caused by eating too many calories and not getting enough exercise. Therefore, the standard treatment for obesity is diet and exercise. For many people, however, traditional therapies are ineffective in either losing the weight or keeping it off. Weight loss medications are available, but must be used cautiously and can't be taken by everyone.

Another treatment for severe obesity is surgery. There are several different types of surgery for obesity. One method is laparoscopic banding. LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding is a minimally invasive procedure that closes off a large portion of the stomach. Using tiny incisions, the surgeon places an inflatable band around the upper portion of the stomach. Once in place, a saline solution is injected into the band, which causes the ring to inflate and squeeze around the stomach. The procedure creates a small stomach pouch and limits the amount of food the stomach can hold at any one time. The LAP-BAND® also controls the flow of food from the stomach to the rest of the digestive tract. As a result, patients feel fuller faster and for a longer amount of time, thus, consuming much less food.

Weight loss with the LAP-BAND® appears to be slower than that achieved with gastric bypass (where doctors surgically bypass a large portion of the intestines to inhibit the absorption of nutrients). But over the long term, weight loss between the two procedures is about equal. However, patients undergoing gastric bypass are at risk for nutritional deficiencies due to bypassing a large portion of the intestines. On the other hand, with LAP-BAND, food still passes naturally through the digestive system, allowing patients to absorb all the important nutrients in their food.
There are some risks with LAP-BAND® surgery. Other than the general risks of surgery, there is a chance the band will slip out of place or erode into the stomach wall. Doctors say these complications are relatively rare and, most often, can be fixed laparoscopically. Obesity surgery is only recommended for patients who are severely overweight (have a BMI of 40 or more), and for those with a BMI of 35 or higher who have serious weight-related medical conditions.