An Introduction to Gastric Bypass Surgery

Obesity, once seen as akin to laziness and overeating, is now understood as a complex disorder having to do with genetics and hormonal as well as lifestyle factors. People seem to have very different energy requirements; some can eat half as much as others and weigh the same.

By some estimates, as many as 20% of Americans are obese with 6-10% classified as morbidly obese (having a body mass index of 40 or greater, or being more than 100 pounds overweight), a health problem with severe consequences that can include hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obstructive sleep apnea, degenerative arthritis, breast and colon cancer, psychosocial problems, and more.

As obesity becomes more recognized as a national problem, more and more treatment options are becoming available when simple dieting and increased exercise do not work. One of these treatments is Gastric Bypass Surgery, a form of bariatric surgery, which gets its name from the Greek words for "weight" and "treatment."

In normal digestion, food moves through the digestive track from mouth to anus while digestive juices and enzymes work to absorb calories and nutrients. From the esophagus (the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach), food arrives in the stomach to be broken down by gastric acid. An average stomach can hold from 3 pints to 1 quart of food at a time. From the stomach, food travels through a sphincter to the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine, where many important nutrients are absorbed. What remains then passes through the rest of the small intestine where more nutrients and calories are absorbed until the waste reaches the large intestine where it is stored until elimination.

Gastric bypass surgery alters this process in two ways, by restricting the amount of food the can be held by the stomach and/or reducing the ability of the body to absorb calories by eliminating part of the small intestine from the digestive process. These procedures are called restrictive and malabsorptive respectively. The most common procedure today is called the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and it is a combination-form of gastric bypass surgery that both shrinks the stomach and bypasses a portion of the small intestine.

Gastric bypass surgery is a lifeline to those morbidly obese who are facing severe health problems. It involves the shrinking of the stomach by stapling or banding to allow less room for food and the bypassing of part of the intestine responsible for absorbing calories as well as nutrients. The result is that patients who undergo the operation lose weight because they both eat less and their bodies absorb less of what they eat.

The benefits of gastric bypass surgery are extensive and prolonged weight-loss resulting in significantly lowered risks of hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and other health conditions related to obesity. The risks involve surgical complications, nutritional deficiencies resulting in problems like anemia and osteoporosis, and "dumping syndrome," which is an unpleasant reaction that often occurs when patients who have undergone gastric bypass surgery eat a meal high in simple sugars or fats.

Gastric Bypass Surgery Info provides comprehensive information on procedure, recovery, cost and complications relating to standard, laparoscopic and mini surgeries. Gastric Bypass Surgery Info is the sister site of Bariatric Surgery Web.

---

How Many Calories Can I Have And Still Lose Weight?

How to Estimate How Many Calories You Can Have and... Read More

Healthy Supplements Make Diet Pills Obsolete!

Diet PillsTaking diet pills is definitely not an effective weight... Read More

3 Surprising Statistics About Our Weight

To say that Americans are obsessed with dieting is an... Read More

Weight Loss Secrets from Hollywood Movie Stars ? LA Personal Trainer Speaks Out!

In the early nineties I had the opportunity to work... Read More

3 Ways Going with the Flow Will Make You Fat - And What To Do About It!

Wanna know the truth? If you're going to... Read More

Fitness: Getting Started

It seems like everywhere you turn, there is someone trying... Read More

Turn Off the Fat Genes - A Book Review

Once in a while a good title comes along and... Read More

Fit or Fat?!

"Hey, you have reduced now, compared to the last time... Read More

Real Weight Loss Begins Today...With Cliff Kuhn, M.D.s Fun Factor Diet!

Weight Loss is something that many Americans struggle with. In... Read More

Ancient Olympians Followed Atkins Diet

Atkins diet was unknown 35 years ago. Though it seems... Read More

Weight Loss Issues - Can You Be Cellulite Free?

One thing I really must say at the outset of... Read More

Weight Loss and Dieting Secret #1 ? IN and OUT

Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of... Read More

The Best Diet/Way To Lose Weight

The diet that worked for meI have had a lot... Read More

What Cows Know About Weight Loss That We Have Forgotten

I want to talk to you about cows and what... Read More

Natural Weight Loss: Add to Your Diet and Add Years to Your Life

As I was saying in my past articles, others have... Read More

Obesity Prevention Must Begin at Home

Not losing weight but gaining it is why we are... Read More

Im Not Fat, Im Fluffy

A distorted body image is one of the symptoms that... Read More

Dash Diet -- Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)

Hypertension is another name for high blood pressure. Blood pressure... Read More

Choose to Lose - The Simplicity of Weight Loss and Understanding Emotional Eating

Permanent Weight loss is not about Diet. If you are... Read More

Weight Loss Surgery: A Last Resort

Thinking about weight loss surgery? You're not alone. Over two-thirds... Read More

What Is Fat Burning Food and 5 Ways To Implement It Into Your Diet

Many people (especially on the net) claim that you can... Read More

Three Easy Ways To Prevent and Suppress Cravings on a Low Carb Diet

If you've been on a low carb diet for any... Read More

Lose 104 Pounds In A Year

Did you ever think about the fact that losing 2... Read More

Small Changes to Weight Loss

As much as many of us who are over-weight do... Read More

Successful Weight-loss Pointers

Well we're at it again, trying to honor our promise... Read More

How Can You Find Newport Beach Liposuction center?

Finding the clinic that performs liposuctions in Newport Beach is... Read More

Successful WLS Patients Make Right Their Nutritional Wellness

It seems there are two schools of behavior patients follow... Read More

An Interesting Look at Mini Gastric Bypass Surgery

Gastric bypass surgery has many forms and can involve stapling... Read More

Burn More Fat With Insulin Control: The Secret Weight Loss Switch

If you're serious about losing weight and getting fit, you... Read More

A Personal Trainers...Holidaze

Rules of day to day no longer apply as you... Read More

3 Simple Changes In How You Eat That Will Make Dramatic Results In Your Ability To Burn Fat:

1. Increase your water intake to at least 1 gallon... Read More

What is Real Hunger?

In order to identify hunger, you must first understand what... Read More

Unearth the Weight Loss Values in an Egg

At the University of Illinois, a new research found that... Read More