Obesity is an expensive problem, says bariatric surgeon

Dec 31 2013

As a preeminent expert in the field of obesity surgery, board-certified bariatric surgeon Michael Feiz, M.D., F.A.C.S, has personally seen the physical, emotional and financial toll that obesity takes on his patients. As a matter of fact, his knowledge has been reflected in a brand new study released by Duke University, which shows that the higher an individual's body mass index (BMI), the higher are medical bills. The healthcare costs associated with a higher BMI soar as the individual gains weight, because heavier people often have obesity-related illnesses such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and other problems. As the bariatric surgeon who performs obesity surgeries such as gastric sleeve and lap band, Los Angeles is fortunate to have a top-ranked bariatric surgeon to help them reverse their obesity for good.

Dr. Feiz has successfully performed many bariatric procedures to reverse their obesity, being the doctor who performs lap band surgery Huntington Beach patients appreciate for years to come, or sleeve gastrectomy Valencia patients are glad they had when they shed the pounds and their rising obesity-related healthcare costs. Another procedure Dr. Feiz & Associates are proud to offer is weight loss revision surgery, which often includes removing the lap-band device and preforming sleeve gastrectomy. This procedure can convert band to sleeve successfully, so the patient feels full after eating smaller quantities of food, and has lower amounts of the "hunger hormone" ghrelin which spurs their appetite. The ghrelin hormone is virtually eliminated once 85% of the stomach is removed (a section of the stomach which produced the hormone) and the remaining portion is stapled off into a sleeve-like shape.

While some research has suggested there is a thing as "healthy obesity," new research indicates this is untrue, as Dr. Feiz has long believed. In fact, the latest study from Duke suggests that healthcare costs increase even with BMI. The study found that the average annual healthcare costs for individuals with a BMI of 19, considered the healthiest score, was just over $2000, which skyrocketed to more than double (up to $4880) for morbidly obese individuals with a BMI of 45. A BMI of 45 reflects a person who is more than 100 pounds overweight and has excessive body fat, which can hamper all bodily organs from receiving blood from the circulatory system and necessary hormones from the endocrine system. Even bodily systems such as the reproductive system are impacted, as many obese individuals become infertile or impotent.

If you are facing obesity and want to close the chapter of your life where you are paying astronomical costs on your comorbid illnesses, call (800) 868-5946 today to learn about free seminars on weight loss surgery in Los Angeles, from Bakersfield to Rancho Cucamonga. Dr. Feiz & Associates looks forward to learning more about your struggle with obesity and helping you get down to a healthy weight for good.

SOURCE Dr. Feiz & Associates