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Obesity is truly becoming a problem in Texas, and to be honest, in the entire US. Of course, with any problem there are solutions, and with the obesity problem this same rule applies. Of course, the typical bariatric solutions are diet and exercise, but for many people that just doesn’t seem to cut it. Another popular solution is actually having surgery to get control of the problem.

Choosing surgery is definitely a personal choice, and it is life-altering because it requires the patient to change their eating and exercise habits, but weight loss surgery does help the patient drop the weight and regain their quality of living. It is something to be considered if nothing else seems to be working. There are a few different surgeries available, one of which is the known as adjustable gastric banding surgery.

With adjustable gastric banding the doctor will insert a silicone band into the patient’s body, wrapping it around the stomach and separating it into two parts, one large and one small. This band is inflatable, giving the doctor the ability to adjust the diameter of the band. By reducing the size of the diameter the patient’s food intake is decreased, which of course leads to weight loss.

It’s actually quite interesting how gastric banding works to initiate weight loss. When the person starts to eat the smaller part of the stomach naturally fills up more quickly. When it is full the brain is tricked into thinking the entire stomach is full, so it stops sending off hunger signals.

The food in the small part of the stomach then slowly dribbles into the larger part of the stomach, where it eventually continues on its way through the rest of the digestive system. Because the food actually goes to the smaller part of the stomach it becomes nearly impossible for a patient to overeat; any extra food won’t fit into the stomach and the body will automatically reject it.

When the surgery is performed a small access port to the band is inserted beneath the skin of the patient. This port gives the doctor the ability to adjust the band as needed. He will take a saline or isotonic solution and insert it into the port using a needle designed for the task. The solution travels to the band, inflating it which causes it to decrease in diameter. If it needs to be increased the doctor merely removes some of the solution.

Before deciding on surgery you will want to talk to a bariatric physician to decide whether or not this will work for you. You can have the procedure done through a local, certified doctor, or go across the nation for the most highly qualified practioner. The best thing you can do is get all the necessary information before making that life-altering decision.

BetterLife Bariatrics, LLC (http://betterlifebariatrics.com) is a Victoria surgery bariatric office. Art Gib is a freelance writer.