The study, conducted by researchers from the Swedish Institutes of Medicine and several Swedish universities, followed more than 4,000 obese persons during a 10 year period. About half underwent bariatric surgery with the other half tried a diet and exercise regimen alone. It reports that the 2,010 who underwent surgery loss about 44 pounds, whereas the 2,037 who did not undergo surgery and only lost 3 pounds.

During the course of the study, 169 people who did not have surgery developed cancer while 117 who did were diagnosed with cancer. More specifically, nearly 130 cancers were diagnosed in women who did not have surgery, compared to 79 found in the women who had surgery.

The report, however, did not find a drop in cancer rates for men who underwent bariatric surgery as separate studies have found similar results. Researchers note that this may be attributed to hormonal differences between men and women.

Another study by Dr. Nicholas Christou, the director of bariatric surgery and professor surgery at Montreal’s McGill University, found that men and women who underwent bariatric surgery were 78 percent less likely to develop cancer compared to other overweight individuals who did not have surgery.

What other risks does bariatric surgery cut? In some cases, health conditions such as Type 2 Diabetes and others caused by obesity have been eliminated. It doesn’t always take bariatric surgery to eliminate these types of risks. Any type of weight loss will help reduce health risks, especially for overweight and obese individuals.

Despite these great benefits, doctors still advise to consider weight loss surgery as a last resort because of its risks. Contact your Austin local bariatric surgeon to learn more about both the benefits and risks of the LAP-BAND® procedure.

1. High-fat Foods:
Foods with a high-fat content will push back any of your weight loss efforts. These threats include bacon, chips, chocolate, cream soups and sauces, fast food, fried foods, pastries, and pies.

2. Sugar and Sugary Foods
You’re not in much luck if you have a huge sweet tooth. Shrink your waistline by avoiding food products like cakes, candy, cookies, hone, jams, and syrups.

3. High-calorie Drinks
Although your diet may consist of a lot of liquids, that doesn’t mean you can have any drink. Milkshakes, soda, beer, fruit juice, and whole milk have more calories than you may think.

4. Starchy and White Flour Foods
Foods like pasta, rice, and doughy breads, which are starchy and made from white flour, can easily throw you off of your diet. As a last resort, opt for whole-wheat or whole-grain alternatives.

5. Fibrous Foods
Foods with high fiber pose a threat to your LAP-BAND®, as they can get stuck in your stomach opening. These foods include asparagus, celery, corn, dried fruit, pineapples, sweet potatoes.

6. Foods with Skins/Seeds
Fruits and vegetables are key to any diet, but those with skins and seeds may be hard to digest. Remove any skin or thin membranes or seeds from foods like apples, oranges, and grapes prior to eating.

7. Carbonated Drinks
Stay away from soda, carbonated water, champagne, beer, and other carbonated beverages. These quickly fill your already-reduced stomach pouch, causing discomfort.

8. Tough Meats
You’ll slowly be able to introduce solid foods into your diet, but tough meats like pork chops, hamburgers, and steaks could cause problems with your LAP-BAND®. Be sure to always chew carefully and slowly before digesting.

9. Alcohol
You may enjoy it, but your stomach sure won’t enjoy any alcohol. High in calories, alcohol will easily thwart your weight loss efforts. Consume any and all alcoholic beverage with caution.

Stay away from these nine products and you’ll be well on your way to weight loss success!

Consult your Austin bariatric or local bariatric surgeon and nutritionist for personalized diet recommendations or to get started on weight loss now.

Exercise
Get a workout buddy. Having someone there to exercise with you can be really motivating. It can also make your workout go by a lot faster if you have someone there with you. Set up a schedule that works for you both and make a commitment to each other to go regularly.

Take group exercise classes. Take advantage of the classes at your local gym or activities center. Most facilities offer a range of activities in varying difficulty levels that may interest you – yoga, pilates, kickboxing, spinning, and even dance classes. Don’t be intimidated; you’ll be surrounded by people who have the same goal as you – to be healthy.

Eating
Cook for your family. If you’re creating a new diet for yourself, involve those around you and who you regularly eat with. If it’s healthy for you, then it’ll be healthy for them, too. Also, if they’re eating along the same guidelines, then there will be less temptations to distract from your new diet plan.

Split your meal. If you’re going out to eat, suggest splitting a meal with a friend or just eat half of your meal and doggy bag the rest for later. It can be astonishing to find out how many calories were in those tempting, yet seemingly harmless bites you just ordered. Splitting it can help to control portion sizes and prevent from overeating.

Other
Keep a food/exercise journal. There are plenty of great websites to help you monitor your daily food and exercise choices. Many of these websites also have a community forum where you can get great tips and encouragement from others.

If you’re feeling more traditional, keeping a journal with you and logging everything works great too. Don’t have room to carry a journal?

Thank goodness there’s an iPhone app for practically everything now. Lose It!, is a great free application, that already has calorie counts for a plethora of foods (even major brands and your favorite chain restaurants) and physical activities. Any way will help you actively keeping track of your calories to give you a clear insight on how your progress toward your goals.

If you decide to have bariatric surgery even after adapting these tips in your new eating and exercise habits, there are plenty of group activities you can get involved.

According to the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, more than 200,000 Americans are expected to have conventional forms of obesity surgery. So, you’re not alone.

Contact your surgeon about finding local support groups for recent bariatric surgery patients. Having that constant motivation and support from others who can relate to your same problems can provide that extra push you need to help you and your goals. Even years after their surgery, many patients continue to be involved and help lead these support groups.

The American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery is the largest organization of its kinds in the world. Members include practicing surgeons, physicians, and Allied Health members. Visit their website for great resources regarding support groups and what they’re doing to improve public health.

While the ACSM does say that if you’re looking to maintain your weight, you may be OK with 30 minute blocks, you must increase your workload to 50 minutes to see weight loss results.  The ACSM is also recommending adding a strength training program to your workout in order to increase fat-free tissue and heart health.

Check out more information at WebMD

A typicall patient of gastric bypass surgery, or a similar procedure can expect to lose up to 50% of excess body fat.  Combined with healthy food decisions and lifestyle changes, a Gastric Bypass procedure can put you on the right path to a healthy lifestyle for the remainder of your days.

It is said that more studies are needed to determine the true effectiveness of this drug.

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