Lap-Band Versus Diet and Exercise

Lap-Band versus Diet and Exercising Which weight loss option is more beneficial, surgery or diet and exercise? When considering a weight loss method, this is an important question to think about. In the United States obesity is an epidemic affecting 149.3 million people every year (American Heart Association, 2011). A person is considered obese when he or she has a body mass index (BMI) of at least 30 and or has developed medical conditions from being obese. Losing weight for an obese person can be difficult, sometimes too difficult to accomplish it alone. For this purpose many diet aides are available including pills, plans like Weight Watchers, shots, surgery, and do not forget eating healthy and exercising. This paper will compare and contrast the risks and benefits of the Lap-Band, a surgical weight loss aide against eating healthy and exercising.
Lap-Band
The Lap-Band is an inflatable adjustable band, which is laparoscopically, using small incisions and cameras, placed around the upper part of the stomach. This procedure helps to reduce the amount of food a person eats by making him or her feel full without eating as much. If needed, the band can be made tighter or looser, depending on the need to control the rate food reaches the lower portion of the stomach. This procedure is not for everyone. To be considered for the Lab-Band a physician must decide if the need is there, and an evaluation must show the patient has a BMI of at least 30 and or has a medical condition for example hypertension, diabetes, or high cholesterol to name a few (Memorial Care Obesity Clinic, 2012).
Benefits
Many people choose the Lap-Band method because of the results of quick and steady weight loss resulting in the loss of 50 to 60% of excess weight. He or she does not have to do much with this method because the band does the majority of the work by creating the fullness feeling. In most cases the weight loss helps to reverse most medical conditions that were associated with the obesity. For example the risks of diabetes is lowered or reversed because of the lower intake of sugar or sweets, which were eaten before the procedure. Once the weight is gone the weight can be kept off or maintained by the adjustments of the opening of the band. Another benefit of this system is the person is under a physician’s care and has the proper support to be successful (Memorial Care Obesity Clinic, 2012).
Risks
With any form of surgery some risk maybe involved. With the Lap-Band procedure the risks include mechanical failure of the device, infection of the port site, or leaks from the port, and rejection of the band itself forcing removal of the band. There is also the risk of malnutrition while using the Lap-Band. If a person does not follow all instructions form the physician and eat whatever he or she wants they could face malnutrition. On the other side of the spectrum is eating too much. For some people getting the Lap-Band is a considered a quick fix. He or she gets the band, loses the weight needed to get to desired weight, and then removes the band. Without a second though his or her habits return and all the weight is gained back and in most cases more. If the band is removed without a maintenance plan the risk is higher that the weight will come back (Memorial Care Obesity Clinic, 2012).
Diet and Exercise Dieting is a common practice in the United States and as previously mentioned there are several choices of aides to choose from. All of the aides including the Lap-Band promise weight loss, but usually does not promise to help keep the weight off of help somebody become healthier. The key to a healthy weight is not to focus on short-term changes because “it’s a lifestyle that includes healthy eating, regular physical activity, and balancing the number of calories used” (CDC, 2011, p. 1). To accomplish a healthy diet a person must decrease portions and increase fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Also change from high fat milk and dairy products to fat-free or low-fat. Lean meats, poultry, beans, fish, eggs, and nuts should be included. Most important the plan should be low in saturated fats, cholesterol, Trans fat, salt, and sugar (CDC, 2011). For this plan to work exercise must also be included. For basic exercise a person should workout at least 30 to 60 minutes three times a week in the beginning. To maintain weight and health the Mayo Clinic recommends “moderate exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes a day, but not to exceed 300 minutes a week with a combination of aerobic and strength training” (Moore, 2011, p. 1). If a person follows these recommendations he or she will still face certain risks along with the benefits.
Benefits
Many of the benefits of diet and exercise are similar to the Lap-Band. Both help to lose weight and reduce one’s BMI, but with this method the rate is about one to two pounds a week. Also like the Lap-Band, diet and exercise helps to reduce or reverse obesity related medical conditions with the addition of cardiovascular disease, but what it does not do is boost the immune system. Research has found that eating healthy along with regular exercise can help fight common medical problems like the flu, colds, and even fight off infection faster. Diet and exercise also has the benefit of helping one feel better by increasing energy and enhancing emotions and wellness like lowering symptoms of depression (CDC, 2011). The choice to diet and exercise is open to everyone at any time, unlike the Lab-Band that needs to be signed off by a physician. Having this choice can be a benefit as well as risk.
Risk
One of the bigger risks with diet and exercise is many people participate in this without consulting a physician, which can be dangerous. A person can make unrealistic expectations of him or herself and cause them to make bad nutritional decisions. Like the Lap-Band, a person may unintentionally cause malnutrition and many other serious health problems. The one risk that Lab-Band has that diet and exercise does not is the complications that revolve around the surgical procedure like a reaction to the anesthesia but exercise has risks all its own. Exercise is an important part of becoming healthy but there is such a concept of over exercising and for some people this concept does not exist. Working out too long can lead to exhaustion, which can breakdown muscle mass and cause damage to cartilage, bone ligaments, tendons, and joints. If a person works out too much or over-exercises it can lead to osteoporosis, straining of the heart, and can lead to anorexia because a person would be burning way more calories that he or she is consuming. Also people can become addicted to exercise just like they can to drugs and alcohol and will need professional help to overcome the addiction (Moore, 2011).
Conclusion
Losing weight can be difficult for many people. There are many methods to choose from for assistance in this area including the Lap-Band system and the old fashioned method of regular diet and exercise. Each one of these have risks and benefits depending on if the person follows all directions and places personal safety first. Both choices have the final result of weight loss but differ on the path to the results. Every choice a person makes comes with a level of risk and choosing a weight loss method is not any different. A person must weigh the options, the risks, and the benefits to find the method that will work best for them to succeed on losing weight and being healthy.
References
American Heart Association. (2011). Overweight & obesity. Retrieved from http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@sop/@smd/documents/downloadable/ucm_319588.pdf
CDC. (2011, August 16). Losing weight Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/index.html
Memorial Care Obesity Clinic. (2012). Lap-Band system Retrieved from http://www.memorialcare.org/orange_coast/services/centers_obesity/lap-band-system.cfm
Moore, K. (2011, March 1). Is it bad to workout till exhaustion? Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/394134-is-it-bad-to-work-out-till-exhaustion/

References: American Heart Association. (2011). Overweight & obesity. Retrieved from http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@sop/@smd/documents/downloadable/ucm_319588.pdf CDC. (2011, August 16). Losing weight Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/index.html Memorial Care Obesity Clinic. (2012). Lap-Band system Retrieved from http://www.memorialcare.org/orange_coast/services/centers_obesity/lap-band-system.cfm Moore, K. (2011, March 1). Is it bad to workout till exhaustion? Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/394134-is-it-bad-to-work-out-till-exhaustion/