For people who remain severely obese after non-surgical approaches to weight loss have failed, or for people who have an obesity-related disease, gastric-bypass surgery may be the best next step. But for others, greater efforts toward weight control, such as changes in eating habits, behavior modification, and increasing physical activity, may be more appropriate. Answers to the following questions may help in your decision to undergo surgery for weight loss.

Are you:

• Unlikely to lose weight successfully with non-surgical measures
• Determined to lose weight and improve your health?
• Aware of the life-changing effects associated with this surgery, including the need to chew well and the inability to eat large meals?

Do you:

• Have a BMI of 40 or more?
• Have an obesity-related physical problem (such as body size that interferes with employment, walking, or family function)?
• Have high-risk obesity-related health problems (such as severe sleep apnea or obesity-related heart disease)?

Learn More

Attend a free lecture held the first Thursday of each month, 6:30 p.m., in the Clayton Conference Center at Bethesda Memorial Hospital, presented by Miguel Lopez-Viego. Call (561) 737-7733, extension 4688 or send an e-mail to Suzanne.Schoenrock@bethesdahealthcare.com .