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