Rhonda Day: I have never being in normal weight, never, ever been a normal weight.
Host: Its not secret obesity is one of America's biggest health concerns. One third of American adult are over weight or obese, 5-10 million of them are considered more belly obese, hence that number grows, so does a number of people seeking a surgical solution.
Female Speaker 2: My legs were so swollen, that if I just hit up against anything, you know just tapped it on the door of the wall my skin which just first open.
Christian Ackley: I had high blood pressure, I had high cholesterol.
Female Speaker 1: I used to fear traveling because I was so afraid of my luggage getting lost, because I couldn't just go in to a mall buying clothes.
Host: They tried everything.
Female Speaker 4: The Liquid diet.
Christian Ackley: Took diet pills.
Female Speaker 4: A cookie diet.
Christian Ackley: I've been to hypnotize.
Female Speaker 4: There isn't a diet that I have put of that I have not tried.
Host: It's called more big obesity.
Caroline Cederquist: Some one who is at 100 pounds some are over weight.
Host: And it causes a host of medical conditions.
Caroline Cederquist: Diabetes, high blood pressures sleep apnea, arthritis, cancer, heart disease.
Neil Hutcher: Any where from about 10 -17 years are deducted from your life span simply by having a weight of this magnitude.
Host: Just for to loose weight, these patients and more then a 100 thousand others every year turned to a surgical solutions, gastric by pass or bariatric surgery.
Neil Hutcher: We create a small pouch that will hold about 1 ounce and then the food by passes the lower stomach and the first 5 or 6 feet of a small intestine and then empties in to the lower 75% of the intestine.
Host: Appetite is reduced and the diet is dramatically restricted. The surgery is often performed using minimal in face of techniques.
Myriam Curet: The old way of doing it open surgery with a large insertion creates a lot more pain.
Host: Researcher are continuing to improve the laparoscopic technique, at Standford University they are testing in robotic gastric by pass.
Myriam Curet: The surgeon sits out and counsel and health control of a robot that then controls the instruments.
Host: Researchers say this allow for more precise technique and quicker recovery.
Myriam Curet: --
Host: James Hampton under went the robotic procedure.
James Hampton: But actually what it is going to fear off getting it done by robot.
Host: His greater fear was what would happen if he didn't loose weight.
James Hampton: The thought if you don't change your condition when you are sick is like its going to kill you anyway.
Host: Before surgery James weight 460 pounds.
James Hampton: I have lost a 125 pounds, my ultimate goal is 220. Good pant, so form that we that.
Host: There is another option that is not required surgically altering digestive volumes.
Neil Hutcher: A lap band's advantage is that it's much less in waist of surgery.
Host: An adjustable ring is placed to around the top of the stomach, respecting its capacity. The doctor can add volume or subtract it an injection to make this balloon tighter.
Host: As with any surgery, choosing a highly qualified doctor is crucial, and even then even then weight loss procedure pulls risk.
Caroline Cederquist: Infection, blood clots, bleeding people who are very overweight are more likely to get this complication.
Host: Even after the scarce heal.
Caroline Cederquist: If somebody ends up eating too much they will end up throwing off, if somebody has something that's very high in sugar they can have what's called dumping syndrome. Meaning that, it will get extremely sick.
Host: So the nutritional counseling is critical.
Neil Hutcher: They must stay in follow up to guard against protein calorie amount nutrition or vitamin deposits.
Host: Danny hard had the surgery and experienced numerous problem.
Danny hard: I had tremors I couldn't keep foot down.
Host: After 2 years Danny had her by bye pass reversed and has got better over time. Patients must prepare themselves not just for the surgery, before the drastic life style changes that must come with it.
Mimma Catalano: I see people taking normal bites and now that's my half of my meal it hurts just watching.
Speaker 1: The surgery isn't a magic pill.
Host: If you support its crucial to surviving and thriving after bariatric surgery.
Rhonda Day: I need my friends and families to find of keep me honest.
Host: Every week at Florida hospital near Orlando these women who have all have bariatric surgery gives each other the gift of support.
Christian Ackley: It's so important today be able talk to other you people, who are going to exactly the same thing.
Speaker: I could have not been successful without them.
Rhonda Day: We talk about every thing from sex to bowel movements and everything.
Ackley Christian: No topic is ever turbo.
Host: And their advice to others is conserving surgery.
Sandra Fisher: Its very, very hard is not the easy way up, it's just a tool.
Caroline Cederquist: Bariatric surgery is not the end of a persons bad of obesity. It's the beginning of a different barrel.
Host: If you were some one who loves is considering bariatric surgery.
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