Study Claims Weight Loss Surgery For Overweight And Obese Can Improve Mobility

Overweight and obesity problems are among the leading health concerns today. The number of individuals who failed to maintain a healthy weight keeps on growing, which makes the issue more alarming.

Obesity In America

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, more than one in three adults are obese. More than one in 20 are extremely obese and one-third of children and adolescents ages 6 to 19 are overweight or obese.

Per the report, overweight and obesity can increase one's risk for type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, high blood pressure and other health problems. Aside from this, too much weight can hinder one's mobility. One can't walk or run as fast as he wishes, which limits one's activities.

For obese individuals who pushed themselves to work out or limit themselves from eating just to lose weight, surgery is another option. For most, weight-loss surgery is the last option. Most wanted to try diet and exercise first, but for those who struggle to move due to their weight issues, weight-loss surgery may help.

Weight Loss Surgery Improves Mobility

According to a new study, weight-loss surgery improves the condition and mobility of severely obese patients. The Globe and Mail reported that the researchers followed over 2,200 obese patients who took weight-loss surgery.

After a year, 58 percent of them reported less pain and 77 percent admitted that they are more physically active. The weight-loss surgery improves their mobility.

Per the report, weight-loss surgery is more effective in terms of consistent weight loss compared to diet and exercise. However, the results depend on the patient. According to Wendy King, lead author, the amount of weight loss following the surgery is "consistently related to improvements in pain and function."

Alternative Methods For Obesity

The only limitation of this study is their lack of control group, those people who lost weight using the alternative methods like diet and exercise. So, it's impossible to compare which among these weight-loss strategies are better or worse.

The most popular weight-loss surgery is sleeve gastrectomy, which reduces the size of the stomach similar to the size of a banana. The next one is Roux-en-Y, which creates an even smaller stomach pouch.

Are you willing to try weight-loss surgery? Do you believe that this is effective in maintaining weight-loss? Share your thoughts below.