You can breathe a sigh of relief because Halloween is finally over, but what about all the candy your children collected? It can be very tempting to eat a piece of candy or chocolate when it’s lying around. In fact, you might accidentally eat a piece out of habit before remembering that you’ve sworn off. This may not seem like much of a slip up, but one fun sized candy bar can hold as many as 210 calories.
Is your Child’s Trick or Treat Candy Haul Tempting You?
If your neighborhood is like most, your children came home with an impressive haul of candy. There is a good chance all that candy is going to tempt you into having ‘just one’. While the kids aren’t about to let you throw it all away, here are some ideas to help you manage the candy supply in your home after October 31st. Some of these tips could also help you show your child how to use moderation for good health.
#1 – As soon as you return home from trick-or-treating, gather the children to the table and inspect all of the candy. Next, allow the kids to choose a handful of candies to keep and give the rest away.
#2 – Your child’s dental clinic may have a program for donating Halloween candy, allowing you to remove temptation from your home.
#3 – Another place where you can share your child’s candy wealth is at church, school or work. Co-workers and faculty members might appreciate the gesture.
#4 – Another option to consider, especially if your child has an insatiable sweet tooth, is storing Halloween candy in the freezer. Your children will eat the candy at a much slower pace, one or two at a time.
#5 – Circle a date on the calendar. This is the day your home will once again become a candy free zone.
Candy and the Bariatric Patient
The bottom line is simple: candy offers only empty calories and too much sugar for those who have undergone weight loss surgery. After Bariatric surgery, your body needs nutrients and lots of them. Instead of filling up on nonsense that will leave you hungry for more, find healthy ‘treats’ that will curb your yen for something sweet.
If you would like to know the scoop on diet pills and why they are considered to be dangerous, you have come to the right place. Here are some interesting facts about the dangers of diet pills, some of which you might have heard and a few side effects which may surprise you.
Downside of Diet Pills
Risks of diet pills
Yes, there is most definitely a downside to taking diet pills, whether they have been prescribed by a doctor or purchased over the counter. In some cases, taking diet pills can actually bring weight loss, but is it worth the risks, especially when those few pounds will eventually be returning? Here are a few of the many risks of taking diet pills.
You cannot trust or rely on product labels.
If you are purchasing store bought weight loss pills and products, you cannot trust the claims found on the label or box. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently released a report which found that twenty percent of all supplement and weight loss labels are guilty of making illegal claims. Even if the pills promise to be herbal or all-natural, this does not mean they are truly safe to take.
There are often numerous side effects when taking diet pills.
Depending on the type of diet pills you take, there can be numerous side effects, some of which can become uncomfortable, if not downright dangerous to your body. Some of the more common side effects of diet pills include headaches, constipation and mood swings. In diet pills containing fat blockers, you can expect symptoms such as upset stomach, diarrhea, gas and poor nutrient absorption.
The ineffective results of diet pills often lead to dehydration.
Due to the combination of caffeine and several diuretics, many diet pills are not helping you lose weight. Those first few pounds you shed was likely water loss, which is not a true type of weight loss. Sadly, extreme water loss while taking diet pills can lead to dangerous levels of dehydration.
Taking diet pills can be very addicting.
When you choose to take diet pills, there is always the risk of becoming addicted. Sure, it is only diet pills but they actually contain a plethora of addictive and dangerous ingredients including amphetamines, antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs.
Diet pills can damage your heart and other organs.
Many diet pills and appetite suppressants are designed to stimulate the nervous system, and the results can be felt relatively quickly. Most commonly, your heart rate will increase which also raises your blood pressure, which can lead to arrhythmia, cardiac arrest or heart attack – none of which are worth those few pounds you may or may not lose.
Diet pills can add stress to your circulatory system.
Ever taken a diet pill and experienced the rush felt when your heartbeat sped up, only to wind up with a terrible headache? Since the FDA made ephedra illegal in weight loss drugs and products, companies are working diligently to come up with a substitute. Why would companies want to offer a product that raises blood pressure and stresses the circulatory system?
It is believed that some diet pills cause heart valve abnormalities.
While it is true that heart valves will eventually start to leak a tiny bit with age, there are some prescription drugs designed to help people lose weight which can also cause heart valve abnormalities, including leakage. This risk is a concern for those who have taken diet pills for three months or longer. This is why some medical doctors will prescribe twelve weeks of taking diet pills, followed by intervals where no weight loss drugs are taken.
Weight Loss Surgery vs Diet Pills
As a rule, most medical doctors will not prescribe diet pills to patients unless they are considered to be obese and many who will not prescribe diet pills at all, due to the above mentioned risks. Additionally, if you are obese, you would have to take diet pills for a very long time to see any real results, which means being at risk of the many side effects listed above.
When considering all of the dangers associated with diet pills, weight loss surgery is fast becoming the more popular and sensible option. Medical doctors are starting to agree that Bariatric surgery is safer than the prolonged use of diet pills and other drugs prescribed for weight loss. Unlike diet pills, weight loss surgery slowly teaches the patient how to make better nutritional choices for a lifetime of better habits.
You have known that it was past time for a change for a long while. Your quality of life is noticeably decreasing and the weight doesn’t seem to come off, even with dieting and exercise. You feel as if you have tried and failed with nearly every diet, breakthrough or fad that has come along. What is the next option?
Weight Loss Surgery: Actions, Not Words
When you look in the mirror, do you recognize the person looking back? Depression and a damaged self-worth are attacking your mind, while the excess pounds have you feeling as if you are pinned to the ground. Your health is starting to be affected and you’ve been researching weight loss surgeries for months.
Stop Researching Bariatric Surgery!
Guess what? It is time to stop researching weight loss surgery and start doing! Make the decision to have Bariatric surgery because you know it’s your best shot for a new and happy life! Are you scared? Well, don’t be. Bariatric surgery is growing more and more common with each passing year, helping men and women take control of their lives, their health, and most importantly, their own bodies.
Why keep researching but never take action? One reason people never manage to take the next step is because surgery is a scary word. People fear the ‘unknown’, and somewhere down deep, perhaps there is the fear that even bariatric surgery won’t deliver the weight loss needed for a happy, full and productive life. Are you afraid that weight loss surgery is your last option, and that it may not work?
Make the Decision to Change Your Life
First of all, you will never know what weight loss surgery can do for you until you try! Approach this surgical step to lose weight as a major life changing event, and your new lifestyle as a permanent step toward a better you. It may be true that you are out of options, but you haven’t lost the battle against obesity yet, so don’t give up before you try!
In your research, you probably learned that weight loss surgery doesn’t guarantee that you will be able to keep the weight off. However, you will lose weight and you will feel better! Hopefully, you will learn how to eat in moderation and control your caloric intake, and never have to battle the pounds again!
Now that you are motivated and ready to take that leap of faith, say to yourself, “2015 is going to be my best year yet, the year everyone sees me for who I really am.” Send your information using our convenient contact page to ask for the help and support you need and deserve! You will find answers to all of your Bariatric surgery questions and concerns as you begin your weight loss journey.
If someone you love has recently undergone weight loss surgery of any kind, your task of finding the perfect Christmas gift won’t be as difficult as you might think. As the Bariatric patient on your holiday shopping list begins his or her new and improved healthy lifestyle, the following gift ideas can provide support and assistance toward weight loss success.
Digital Food Scale
Modern food scales are better than ever at helping with portion control and managing healthy food options. A great help when keeping a journal and perfecting Bariatric recipes, today’s food scales have some pretty amazing options such as a Tare feature that automatically deducts the weight of your plate.
High Tech Bathroom Scales
Any old bathroom scale will help track weight loss but there are several brands of high tech scales that can do some pretty amazing things. Not only can a Bariatric patient keep track of pounds lost, but also body mass, weight memory, and daily caloric reference.
Digital Camera
The weight loss journey of a Bariatric patient is often recorded in photographs, allowing the results to be documented and shared with others. A digital camera is vital in recording every milestone along the path to healthy living, making it a great choice for gift-giving. Some cameras are also equipped with video functions, making them even more helpful.
Gym Membership
A gym membership is a wonderful gift idea for anyone who is trying to ‘turn over a new leaf’ and get healthy through weight loss. Some memberships include access to spas and saunas, swimming pools and even child care, making this an ideal choice for Bariatric patients of all ages.
Gift Card from Major Clothing Retailer
This is a struggle every weight loss surgery patient experiences with both negative and positive feelings. While thrilled to see the weight coming off, Bariatric patients struggle daily with ill-fitting clothing, as nothing seems to fit. With a gift card to a major clothing retailer, your recipient will be thrilled to add a few basics to their wardrobe. Of course, nothing makes weight loss sweeter than buying a smaller size.
Gas Gift Card
Most weight loss surgery patients have to keep monthly appointments with their Bariatric doctor, and this can mean traveling more than two hours. Follow-up appointments, fills (Lap-Band), weigh-ins, visiting support groups, and trips to specialty stores are just some of the reasons a gas card could be beneficial for Bariatric patients.
Kitchen Gadgets
There are a lot of great gift ideas in the kitchen for those who have undergone weight loss surgery. A good food storage system such as a Foodsaver can help with fresh food preservation and portion control. Other helpful options include high quality water bottles, shaker bottles designed for protein shakes, pre-measured food containers and measuring cups/spoons. Bento and other portion oriented lunch containers are also quite helpful when making meals on the go.
Bariatric Approved Cookbooks
After weight loss surgery, your gift recipient may feel as if he or she is learning how to cook all over again. Finding recipes that are low fat and low or sugar free can be quite daunting, not to mention time consuming. Purchasing Bariatric approved cookbooks will help save time and improve meal planning, making it an exceptional gift idea for Christmas.
Vitamins, Supplements, and Carrying Case
After Bariatric surgery, vitamins and supplements are no longer a choice, but a necessity, since the stomach can no longer absorb all the nutrients your body needs. A carrying case or pill organizer can be a lifesaver to the Bariatric patient, and gifts of vitamins and supplements can save some serious cash.
These are just a few of the many gift ideas that will enrich the life of your favorite Bariatric patient. Can you think of other great Christmas gifts for someone who has had weight loss surgery?
If you are like many who are considering weight loss surgery, you have spent a significant amount of time researching the topic across several sites and search engines. New information can be found daily, making the task a bit daunting.
Choosing Bariatric Surgery can help an individual achieve long lasting weight loss and a new outlook on life. Patients can lead happier, healthier lives if they have all the facts needed to make a step toward positive change.
You are fairly certain that you know all about obesity and bariatric surgery. Just in case your research skipped over some interesting facts, here is a small compilation of important information to help you decide whether weight loss surgery is right for you.
Obesity Facts
Today, approximately fifteen million Americans are battling life threatening obesity. In 1990, less than fifteen percent of Americans were overweight.
Obesity is commonly defined as being one hundred pounds over your ideal body weight. This is the equivalent of a BMI (body mass index) that is greater than 40.
As of today, the United States is the most obese nation in the entire world. Twenty-five percent of this country’s children are overweight.
Patients who are obese will die approximately twelve to fifteen years earlier than those who maintain a normal weight.
Those who suffer with life threatening obesity have many other medical conditions that will affect almost every organ and system in their bodies. Some of these conditions include: Hypertension or High Blood Pressure, Type II Diabetes, High Cholesterol, Depression, Arthritis, and Cardiac Disease.
Bariatric Surgery Facts
For most, Bariatric Surgery is a cure for the life-threatening condition of obesity.
While Bariatric Surgery is a powerful weight loss tool for the obese. However, it is not cosmetic surgery.
Bariatric patients are most successful when they participate in a comprehensive program, one that provides follow-up appointments, support from a dietician, support groups (in persona and online), and assistance from exercise and fitness specialists.
Bariatric surgery requires a conscious effort to make a major commitment to changing their diet and behaviour regarding exercise.
When considering the risks of life threatening obesity, the risks of bariatric surgery are minute in comparison.
Only five percent of patients have shown long term positive results after Bariatric Surgery from diet and exercise alone. However, Bariatric Surgery gives patients long term weight loss results.
Many who undergo weight loss surgery have found that as they became more fit and healthy, other medical conditions lessened, or disappeared entirely.
After weight loss surgery, patients enjoyed reduced costs in healthcare and became more productive at work or school.
With Bariatric Surgery, you write the story of your life, as you are in control. What other changes did you experience? After Weight Loss Surgery, besides weight, what will change about you most? Your comments are welcome below.
Comorbid Effects of Obesity in Children – Sleep Apnea
Childhood obesity is believed to affect approximately thirteen percent of children from six to eleven years of age and fourteen percent of adolescent children age twelve to nineteen years of age. These numbers continue to climb annually, putting these groups of children at risk for type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and even hypertension. Another risk that we fail to remember when considering the comorbid effects of childhood obesity is Sleep Apnea. According to statistics collected by the Surgeon General, Sleep Apnea is another risk of childhood obesity. Sleep Apnea can be serious and even life-threatening if not managed properly.
What is Sleep Apnea?
Characterized by short, involuntary pauses during sleep, Sleep Apnea can happen several times per night. Children who suffer from Sleep Apnea find it hard to get a good night’s rest as with each pause in breathing, the average sufferer will abruptly awake, often gasping for breath.
Without restorative sleep, children with Sleep Apnea are tired and often feel the need to sleep all through the following day. Attention spans shorten and children become more sedimentary. This often leads to a decrease in grades, sports and other activities. While overweight children are at high risk for Sleep Apnea, thin children are not completely safe from this condition.
Symptoms of Sleep Apnea in Obese Children
Often times, the symptoms of Sleep Apnea are overlooked or explained away as children are labeled as attention deficit or hyperactive. Some common daytime symptoms to watch for in children include: hyperactivity, inattention, behavior problems and sleepiness.
Children with night time symptoms of can exhibit the following Sleep Apnea issues: snoring, restless sleep, breathing with only the mouth, pauses in breathing during sleep, and difficulty waking up in the mornings, even after a full night’s rest.
Treating Sleep Apnea
Childhood obesity is not the only cause of Sleep Apnea in children. Common causes can include enlarged tonsils or adenoids and some dental conditions such as a serious overbite while less common causes include tumors or growths obstructions in the airway. Down and Pierre-Robin Syndromes may also cause Sleep Apnea symptoms because of enlargements affecting the jaw and tongue.
Whether child or adult, obstructive Sleep Apnea may cause a bevy of serious and even life threatening complications. Some of these complications include cardiovascular disease and accidents as well as premature death.
It is vitally important for parents of obese children to watch for signs and symptoms of Sleep Apnea – especially labored snoring or pauses in breathing. If any of these warning signs are present, make an appointment with your child’s pediatrician to discuss the possible causes and ask for the appropriate medical examinations.
While it is doubtful that your child will need to undergo weight reduction surgery, this is a growing possibility that may be considered. Your pediatrician will help with weighing the options and making an educated decision that is best for the health of your child. One great benefit is that in many cases after weight reduction surgery in children, doctors have found that the body is able to slowly heal itself from several results of obesity.
Lastly, when dealing with obese children, it is important to be attentive to the possible onset of health issues such as Sleep Apnea without singling children out. Always be supportive and use tact as children know when they are obese and need both love and support.
It is no secret that obesity has many comorbid effects that increases the risk of many other medical issues which include: type 2 diabetes mellitus, stroke, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, gallbladder disease, gout, hyperuricemia, hypertension, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, osteoarthritis and certain cancers such as prostate or colorectal cancer in men and breast, endometrial and gallbladder cancer in women. These effects continue with several psychological problems such as depression or binge eating and continue on with social issues such as discrimination and stigmatization which can cripple one’s quality of life.
Hypertension a Comorbidity to Obesity
The most dangerous and most common effect of obesity is hypertension, more commonly known as high blood pressure or as HTN among medical personnel. Hypertension is often referred to as the secret or silent killer because it works quietly, damaging your body’s normal functions over time, without obvious symptoms. Ignoring your obese condition and allowing hypertension to become a part of your life may lead to a disability, a reduced quality lifestyle, and/or a heart attack which may be crippling or fatal.
The good news is that your obesity does not have to be permanent. There are treatments, lifestyle changes, and weight reduction options to help monitor and effectively control your high blood pressure. Thanks to modern day options such as gastric bypass surgery, there is no reason why your obesity should result in the complications listed below.
Hypertension Causes Arterial Damage
Normally, your arteries are strong, flexible and elastic with a smooth inner lining which aids in supplying your body’s tissues and organs with much needed oxygen and nutrients. Hypertension affects the arteries over time as the increase in blood pressure may cause a variety of problems including the following issues.
Narrowing and Weakening of the Arteries – Hypertension damages the smooth inner lining of your arteries, making them stiff, thick and unable to stretch to meet the needs of increased pressure – leading to a disease called arteriosclerosis. Arterial hardening is usually caused by an unhealthy diet.
Increased Risk of Aneurysms – As blood moves through damaged arteries, the increased pressure can create aneurysms. These are easily described as arterial bulges which have been formed to accommodate the increased pressure. The rupturing of these aneurysms can lead to life threatening and even fatal bleeding.
Hypertension Damages Your Heart
The arteries are not the only victims of hypertension as hypertension can damage your heart as well. Because blood is delivered to your entire body via the heart, high blood pressure can negatively affect your heart in many ways when left uncontrolled and unmonitored.
Coronary Artery Disease – This disease, commonly caused by hypertension, will affect the arteries that deliver blood to the heart. Common symptoms of coronary artery disease include arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), chest pain and heart attack.
Enlarged Heart – This creates a situation where your heart must work harder than it should to perform the necessary and unending function of pumping blood to your body. Hypertension can lead to an enlarged left ventricle – called left ventricular hypertrophy which increases the risks of heart failure, heart attack and cardiac death.
Heart Failure – It is no surprise that the increased pressure can wear your heart down over time, weakening the muscles and causing your heart to fall short on its duties. Eventually, the heart wears out, causing a heart attack.
Hypertension May Damage the Brain
Just like every other area of your body, your brain requires a steady and nourishing supply of oxygenated blood to function and survive. High blood pressure affects the brain in many ways, causing problems such as stroke and other decreased brain functions which have been listed below.
Transient Ischemic Attack – These attacks are commonly called mini-strokes because they are only small, temporary disruptions in blood flow to the brain. Usually caused by atherosclerosis or blood clots caused from high blood pressure, these attacks are to be considered a warning that you are at risk of having a stroke.
Stroke – When your brain is deprived of important oxygen and nutrients, a stroke can occur. Strokes cause death to important brain cells and many times, the effects are irreversible. High blood pressure damages and weakens your brain’s blood vessels due to clotting, narrowing, rupturing or leaking of the heart.
Dementia – Dementia can be caused by two different symptoms of hypertension, vascular dementia which is the narrowing of arteries to the brain or stroke which causes an interruption in blood flow to the brain. The effects of Dementia are often seen with the following brain functions: speaking, thinking, memory and reason, vision and even bodily movement.
Mild Cognitive Impairment – Like dementia, mild cognitive impairment can be the result of blood flow being interrupted or blocked to the brain when hypertension has damaged the arteries.
Hypertension Damages Your Kidneys
While many consider the heart to be the most important organ in the human body, it is the kidneys that regulate blood pressure. The kidneys are also responsible for removing unnecessary or spent nutrients and waste from the blood. These processes can only be done correctly and effectively when your blood vessels are healthy. Hypertension compromises the health of these blood vessels, resulting in damage to the kidneys, including the issues below. The presence of Diabetes can further impact these problems and impair the kidneys.
Kidney Failure – One of the most common causes of Kidney Failure is hypertension due to the fact that high blood pressure damages the arteries leading to and many small blood vessels located within the kidneys. Once damaged, the kidneys can no longer filter waste from the blood effectively which results in the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant.
Kidney Scarring – Another form of kidney damage is referred to as Glomerulosclerosis, or scarring of the glomeruli – tiny clusters of blood vessels within the kidney. This occurs when the kidney cannot filter waste and could result in failure.
Kidney Artery Aneurysm – As mentioned before, an aneurysm occurs on the wall of a blood vessel, creating a bulge due to high blood pressure. Located in an artery leading into the kidney, this is a Renal Artery Aneurysm. This form of aneurysm can cause rupturing and internal bleeding, which can be life threatening or fatal.
The comorbid effects of obesity on your body’s normal blood pressure can be quite staggering. Hypertension can quietly damage the heart and arteries, the brain, and the kidneys – all of which are needed to perform many important bodily functions needed for survival. Maintaining a healthy diet and getting regular exercise to shed those excess pounds are vital to the health of your body. If you find that these steps are not enough, don’t wait for obesity and hypertension to affect your body negatively, Discuss your options regarding current weight reduction methods such as weight loss surgery with a doctor or nutritionist today.
Childhood obesity and adolescent obesity is linked with many serious health issues in adulthood. Unfortunately, there is little evidence that preventive measures such as lifestyle interventions and pharmacological treatments are effective. There are several surgical procedures for children and adolescents but the long term effects remain uncertain.
Researchers from University College of Gjovik and the University of Oslo, Norway in a paper “Bariatric surgery for obese children and adolescents: A review of the moral challenges” concluded that surgery on children’s healthy organs to discipline their eating behavior in order to help them to be socially acceptable or to compensate for poor parenting is ill advised. There needs to be more evidence on outcomes and risk factors. There also needs to be a valid consent or assent.
In making a decision on bariatric surgery for children and adolescents, parents need to look at the moral implications with regard to values, viewpoints and arguments before they make the decision to go forward.
Long Term Outcomes and Benefits of Bariatric Surgery for Children
There is little evidence on the benefits of bariatric surgery on youngsters. The overwhelming research has been on adults and those results don’t necessarily generalize to a children and adolescents. If, after 100 – 150 procedures there are few complications then it might be permissible to perform this procedure, but only in specialized, high volume centers where the doctors have plenty of experience.
Much consideration needs to be given to how this procedure might affect psychological and social development. Few studies address these issues. The other moral consideration is informed consent. Should a parent make the decision for a child, or is a child or adolescent mature enough to have a say? Surgery should not replace self discipline.
Studies show that one third of obese adults were sexually abused as children. So as part of the assessment process for children and adolescents, this should be addressed.
Preconceptions on Bariatric Surgery for Youth
Overweight children and adolescents are often the target of discrimination and prejudice. And medical practitioners are known to also discriminate against the obese, by assuming they are ill prepared to take care of themselves. So, few referrals are made for surgery among this population. But should this social problem be addressed with surgery anyway?
Bariatric surgery poses particular questions for minors because it uses medical interventions to alter everyday behavior when there are other solutions available such as dieting, exercising, and cognitive behavioral therapy that pose no risk to healthy organs in the body. Also this surgery does not address the many unknown causes of obesity.
In conclusion these researchers posed the following questions that need to be addressed when making a decision such as bariatric surgery for a child or adolescent:
Who to operate on
When to do it
Who is to decide
How to decide
Who is to operate
How best to prepare
How to follow-up
And the most important question would be how to generate more high quality evidence in a morally acceptable manner.
I would love to know your option on this topic of Childhood Obesity and Bariatric Surgery. Please Comment!
Looking for a Type II Diabetes Cure? Many health conferences are starting to talk about the ability of bariatric surgery to improve the symptoms of and cure type II diabetes. For years, it has been known that people who undergo bariatric surgery often seen an improvement in their diabetes long before they start seeing weight loss results. If you have type II diabetes you may want to consider bariatric surgery as a way to improve and cure your diabetes.
Consider some more information about the procedure before you decide to talk with your doctor about undergoing the procedure since all surgical procedures should be carefully considered.
Is Bariatric Surgery Really the Answer for Type II Diabetes Cure?
Much talk can be found online about bariatric surgery as a cure for type II diabetes. In fact, some medical studies have even shown the benefit of bariatric surgery in treating or at the least reducing the symptoms of type II diabetes. Perhaps the best news comes from two new studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine. These new tests were done from a random group of people that compared people with bariatric surgery versus those who received conventional or intense medical treatment for their type II diabetes. Before this, there was no definitive test about the effects of bariatric surgery and type II diabetes.
These two new studies were done in Italy and had the goal of dropping a type II diabetes patient A1C to under 7 after 2 years of treatment. Those who didn’t undergo bariatric surgery underwent lifestyle changes such as a low-fat diet and increased exercise based on the American Diabetes Association guidelines. Both of these studies showed that those who underwent bariatric surgery had lower BMIs, lower A1C’s and other health benefits such as lower blood pressure and lipid levels than those who didn’t undergo the surgery.
In addition, these benefits came from the surgery itself and not from any medication help. This is what many doctors and the press are talking about when it comes to bariatric surgeries ability to be the type II diabetes cure.
While these studies show good results from people with type II diabetes that undergo bariatric surgery. It is important to also keep in mind that people who don’t undergo surgery also see improvements in their type II diabetes with rigorous medical treatments. So it is important to carefully look into bariatric surgery and see if it is right for you. Often if you aren’t obese, a doctor won’t recommend this type of surgery just to help with type II diabetes. However, if you are both obese and suffering from type II diabetes it may be reasonable to talk with your doctor about the benefits of undergoing bariatric surgery.
After undergoing the procedure you need to be prepared to deal with a lifetime of nutritional and dietary changes that must be rigorously followed in order to avoid complications. You will need to be vigilant about taking additional supplements to avoid malnutrition. Tracking your nutritional status is important.
Bariatric surgery is certainly an option for people who are looking for a long term type II diabetes cure. You should carefully consider the information above and talk with your doctor to make sure bariatric surgery is right for you. You may want to schedule a free information session that most bariatric practices offer, so the surgeon can help answer any questions you may have about the procedure.
Dopamine: How It Affects The Brain’s Pleasure System and Causes Obesity
University of Alberta researchers have learned that dopamine, a chemical in the brain’s pleasure system, is also linked to the cellular memory and obesity.
Dopamine: How It Is Linked To Obesity and The Obesity Epidemic
For quite some time, scientists knew that dopamine is released by the brain as a response in the rewarding stimulus to things like food or drugs. However, it’s the first time scientists have found a mechanism linking it to the brain’s cell learning. The finding is exciting because it’s an important clue to the fundamental causes to both dependence and obesity, which could also lead to a “cure” for both ailments.
The majority of folks experience pleasure when they consume certain foods and they don’t need scientific proof to prove it. But, according to various experiments, highly calorie, tasty foods will release the chemical dopamine, which gives people a euphoric high. The observation clearly shows the role dopamine has in food obsession that will eventually lead to obesity.
It’s been found that memories are also made in relation to where the rewarding stimuli are being expected. This allows people to remember where to find the same reward in the future.
Department of Pharmacology Professor Bill Colmers along with his research group conducted the study to learn what effect the chemical had on certain memory-forming brain cells. The research found the exact apparatus that tied dopamine to spatial learning, the memory of the area linked with a reward.
They were able to watch dopamine produce the brain’s excitability and open up a biological pathway for memory making where the reward is seen. Researchers also noted Neuropeptide Y, another brain chemical, would block the connections and keep the memory between the location and reward from taking shape.
The study’s results give people a better understanding of how the human brain learns and creates reward-cued spatial memories. This information could potentially be instrumental in helping food or drug addictions find a method that helps them to disconnect the memory from the good stimuli feeling.
Food addiction is, without a doubt, the principal cause for obesity, and it’s an issue that isn’t easily and readily solved with weight loss surgery. The more researchers and scientists learn about the body and the brain connection, the closer they find an effective treatment for obesity and obsession.
