| After many years of discussion we are at last | | | | of wine was sufficient to push the breath |
| coming around to the inevitable conclusion | | | | alcohol level in several weight loss surgery |
| that surgery is the only really successful | | | | patients over the legal limit for driving in |
| and lasting answer to the problem of severe | | | | several US states. |
| obesity. And not before time! | | | | |
| | | | The reason for the added affects of alcohol |
| Right now obesity is arguably the leading | | | | on weight loss surgery patients is quite |
| health problem in the Western world and in | | | | simple to understand as surgery reduces the |
| the United States alone about 60 percent of | | | | size of the stomach and bypasses a section of |
| the population is overweight, with almost 24 | | | | the intestine, both areas of the body that |
| percent being obese and 3 percent severely | | | | play a significant role in breaking down |
| obese. Now 3 percent may not appear to be | | | | alcohol before it finds its way into the |
| large figure but when you consider that it | | | | bloodstream. |
| represents in excess of 9 million extremely | | | | |
| obese people that is a fairly major problem. | | | | So precisely what does this mean for weight |
| | | | loss surgery patients? |
| Despite the fact that more and more attention | | | | |
| is being focused on the problem of obesity | | | | Well, apart from the clear need to take care |
| and its cure, it is surprising just how much | | | | and most definitely to avoid driving after |
| remains to be learnt about the condition, | | | | drinking even small quantities of alcohol, |
| including the affects of alcohol on people | | | | the implications for weight loss surgery |
| who have undergone gastric bypass surgery. | | | | patients do in fact go a little wider. |
| | | | |
| For some time now there has been some | | | | One major problem is that alcohol acts as a |
| anecdotal evidence that people who have had | | | | relaxant and this can cause difficulties with |
| weight loss surgery are more susceptible to | | | | post-surgical weight loss and to maintaining |
| the affects of alcohol than others but it was | | | | weight loss. Because alcohol relaxes the |
| not until late in 2006 that any real attempt | | | | stomach, which includes the lower esophageal |
| was made to determine the extent of the | | | | sphincter, together with the intestine, |
| problem. | | | | patients who enjoy alcohol can eat more and |
| | | | the presence of alcohol effectively |
| In a fairly low-key study the affects of | | | | counteracts the affects of surgery. As if |
| alcohol on 19 people who had weight loss | | | | this was not bad enough a significant number |
| surgery was compared to the affects on 17 | | | | of people become more active socially |
| control subjects. The people in the study | | | | following surgery and this often means an |
| were each given a 5 ounce glass of red wine | | | | increased intake of alcohol. |
| and their breath alcohol level was then | | | | |
| analyzed until it fell back to zero. | | | | There will still need to be considerably more |
| | | | research carried out of course but, at the |
| The study found that alcohol levels reached a | | | | end of the day, the simple fact is that |
| higher level in the weight loss patients and | | | | people who have gastric bypass surgery need |
| also that they took much longer to return to | | | | to be aware of the risks of alcohol and watch |
| zero. But, most interestingly, the study also | | | | their consumption accordingly. |
| showed that just }a single|one} small glass | | | | |