CHRISTMAS CAN WEIGH HEAVY

DON’T LET OBESITY BECOME A PART OF YOUR LIFESTYLE

With Christmas fast approaching, our minds turn to family, friends and the bounties of Christmas family lunches and dinners.

For some, the ‘season of giving’ weighs heavy as they notice extra kilos piling onto the already burdensome accumulation they have gained over the years – and that stubbornly will not shift.

An excess of body fat is called obesity. Obesity is considered one of the biggest healthcare issues facing our nation today and it affects more than a person’s self-esteem, it is linked to everything from coronary heart disease, fertility problems, diabetes, joint problems and cancer.

For those who feel there is no end to their battle to lose weight – local surgeon, Dr Evan Willingham says weight-loss surgery provides a safe treatment option that offers a better quality of life, improvement or cure from comorbidities and a longer life expectancy; and it is more successful than dieting in the long-term.

Dr Willingham has a strong interest in bariatric surgery and is an advocate for the transformative effect weight-loss surgery can have on his patient's life.

"Weight-loss surgery is safe and effective and there are a number of options available; however, sleeve gastrectomy is the most common operation performed for obesity in Australia.

"Patients can expect to lose about 70 per cent of excess weight (weight above normal range) in the first year and 60 per cent after five years and with the Roux-en-y gastric bypass, which is considered the "Gold Standard" in weight loss surgery, patients may lose 77 per cent excess weight after one year and 69 per cent after five years," he said. Dr Willingham says there are other options available depending on the goals of the patient but recommends that anyone interested in undergoing bariatric (weight-loss) surgery first talks to their General Practitioner to see if they are a suitable candidate.