How weight loss can help you

Woman eating grapefruitWeight loss can help prevent or treat several health problems, including:
• Type 2 diabetes
• Heart disease and high blood pressure
• Cancer
• Obstructive sleep apnoea

Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a long-term condition in which health problems are caused by too much sugar in the blood. It affects approximately 2.3 million people in the UK. People with type 2 diabetes are at risk for developing:
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Kidney disease
• Nerve damage
• Foot problems
• Eye complications

Following lifestyle changes such as better diet and exercise, a morbidly obese patient’s risk of developing diabetes can be reduced by up to 58 percent. Using drug treatment for obesity helps 11 percent of patients with type 2 diabetes to stop needing medication for their diabetes. Bariatric surgery has been shown to cure 70 percent of patients with type 2 diabetes.

Heart disease and high blood pressure
People are who morbidly obese (BMI greater than 40) are at risk of developing high cholesterol and high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease and associated complications such as:
• Angina
• Coronary heart disease
• Heart attacks
• Irregular heart rhythm
• Kidney damage
• Stroke
 
Using drug treatment for obesity can reduce cholesterol levels and bring down high blood pressure, lowering the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Having bariatric surgery stops the need for any further medical treatment in 50 percent of patients with high blood pressure and 80 percent of patients with high cholesterol levels.

Cancer
One in three people will develop cancer in their lives. While some cancers are caused by hereditary factors, people can reduce their risk of cancer by living healthier lifestyles. Research suggests that bariatric surgery can help reduce the cancer risk of patients who are morbidly obese.
 
Obstructive sleep apnoea
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a condition that causes interruptions in breathing during sleep. It can lead to health complications such as:
• Heart disease, which can cause a heart attack
• High blood pressure
• Daytime drowsiness

Being obese is the most important risk factor for OSA. Research has shown that losing weight by following a strict diet can treat mild OSA in patients who are overweight. Following bariatric surgery, 80 percent of patients with sleep apnoea will no longer require any treatment and most others will have improvements.

Bariatric surgery and other health problems
Bariatric surgery has been shown to have a beneficial effect on other health problems in patients who are morbidly obese:
• Half of patients with acid reflux will no longer require treatment after having bariatric surgery
• Forty percent of patients with joint pain and osteoarthritis experience an improvement in their symptoms after having bariatric surgery
• Forty percent of patients with urinary incontinence experience an improvement in their symptoms after having bariatric surgery