Is it important to lose weight?

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions worldwide, with at least 2.6 million people dying each year from being overweight or obese.

Currently, according to the WHO, we are experiencing a double pandemic with the exponential increase in cases of Obesity with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, with its fatal outcomes.

It is indisputable that surgery to control obesity is the only method that has demonstrated long-term effectiveness.

In today’s world it is an important health problem, being a chronic progressive, degenerative, life-threatening, multifactorial disease, manifested by an excess of stored fat, this influences the quality of life of patients and Significantly limits their life expectancy by an average of 12 to 15 years less, with cardiovascular diseases currently the 1st cause of death in the United States and, as well as this, a number of pathologies are associated that are reflected in life expectancy, in addition to being a disease that does not depend on the willpower of the patients who suffer from it.

Critical Risks of Obesity

• 55% Increase in mortality
• 70% Increase in cardiovascular diseases
• 80% Deaths due to heart attack
• 90% Increased blood pressure
• 400% Increase in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Patients with severe obesity can vary their comorbidities according to the type of obesity, whether it is Android or Central type or Gynecoid type:

Gynecoid obesity predominantly in young women, is more frequently associated with:

• Degenerative problems of the joints, particularly the knees, hips and lumbar spine.
• Venous stasis of the lower extremities with possible venous thrombosis, postphlebitic ulcers, etc.
• Certain types of tumors of hormonal origin

Android or Central obesitypredominantly in males and postmenopausal women are more frequently associated with a high risk of mortality related to Metabolic Syndrome or Syndrome “X” problems. ” as well as the increase in intra-abdominal pressure and its fatal consequences.

Metabolic Syndrome is a condition that is associated with insulin resistance, hypertriglyceridemia (high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood), Systemic Arterial Hypertension and Type 2 Diabetes, this due to a Neurohormonal lack of control that affects the metabolism of human fat, triggering various pathological conditions as presented below:

• Non-alcoholic liver disease
• Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (ovarian cysts)
• Nephrotic syndrome of obesity (kidney failure)
• The increase in intra-abdominal pressure is partially or totally responsible for:
• Hypoventilation of the obese patient
• Sleep apnea
• Heart attack
• Venous stasis disease
• Pseudotumor cerebri
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
• Urinary incontinence
• Systemic Arterial Hypertension

Central Obesity increases intra-abdominal pressure with the increase in neck circumference and this to sleep apnea, other additional comorbidities such as severe increase in the risk of cancer of the uterus, mammary gland , prostate, esophagus, colon. Infertility and severe necrotizing soft tissue infections.

Severe obesity morbidity table

Central obesity

Metabolic complications (“X” syndrome)

• Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
• Arterial Hypertension
• Dyslipidemia (elevated cholesterol and triglycerides)
• Cholelithiasis and cholecystitis (gallbladder stones)

Increased intra-abdominal pressure

• Urinary incontinence
• Gastroesophageal Reflux
• Venous disease (thrombophlebitis, postphlebitic ulcers, venous stasis,
• Pulmonary embolism
• Hypoventilation syndrome
• Nephrotic syndrome
• Hernia (incisional, inguinal)
• Pre-eclampsia

Respiratory insufficiency of the obese (Pickwik syndrome)

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea
• Asthma hypoventilation syndrome

Cardiovascular dysfunction

• Coronary Artery Disease (Heart Infarction)
• Increase in complications after coronary (heart) bypass surgery
• Ventricular hypertrophy and hypertension

Sex Hormone Dysfunction

• Amenorrhea – Hypermenorrhea
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (ovarian cyst)
• Infertility
• Breast cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Carcinoma of the endometrium (cancer of the uterus)

Other carcinomas

• Colon, kidney cells, prostate

Infectious complications

• Immune system deficiency
• Necrotizing pancreatitis
• Soft tissue necrosis

Pseudotumor cerebri

• Pseudotumor cerebri
• Idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Degenerative osteoarthritis

• Joint degeneration
• Ankles, knees, hips, spine, upper extremities, neck

Psychosocial impact

• Lack of employment
• Discrimination at work
• Depression
• Low self-esteem
• Social isolation

Sexual

• Decreased libido
• Sexual impotence
• Lack of privacy

It is proven that 95% of non-surgical procedures to lose weight result in short-term failure with consecutive weight gain.

The importance of losing excess weight is manifested in:

The recovery of the patient’s health improving the quality of life, aas well as increased survival and recovering self-esteem.

If you are already tired of various treatments or have some degree of obesity and medical disorders and are willing to make a radical change in your lifestyle, habits and submit to the protocols and follow-up to achieve weight loss with real goals , do not be discouraged you are ready to start an opportunity of life.