Weight loss treatment saving lives: research
Australian obesity experts have released new research showing gastric banding surgery can save lives.
Three studies presented at the international conference on obesity in Sydney showed there was up to 75 per cent reduction in mortality rates in obese people who had the surgery.
The procedure involves a small adjustable band being placed around the upper part of the stomach to restrict the amount of food the patient can consume.
Ronnie Khalil decided to have surgery, when the scales hit 160 kilos.
He has lost 37 kilos in 6 months.
"The operation has made a huge difference, it actually allows you to live life," he said.
He is one of a growing number of obese people to undergo what is known as gastric banding surgery.
An adjustable band is wrapped around the top of the stomach.
It is designed to reduce how much people eat in one meal.
New research shows the procedure can reduce death rates in the obese by as much as 75 per cent.
"This is the first time that any form of weight loss treatment has been able to show that weight loss therapy saves lives," Associate Professor John Dixon, from the Centre of Obesity Research and Education at Monash University said.
In three studies, 10,000 obese people who had the surgery were compared with another 10,000 obese patients.
The people who had the surgery were actually living subtantially longer. They were less likely to die than those who were in the general community who were the same age and weight problems.
Weight loss experts say gastric banding surgery is not recommended as a first option for people trying to lose weight. Instead it is designed for obese people who are suffering health problems as well.
"If you are 150 kilos and not very tall and you have diabetes and it's hard to control and you have problems with your knees and its difficult to walk, this is a procedure thats been shown to be lifesaving," Professor Gary Wittert from the University of Adelaide said.
The procedure can cost several thousand dollars and is not covered by Medicare. But doctors say you cannot put a price on your life
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