By: Ayotunde Adeyeri, M.D., FASMBS
Weight loss surgery not only leads to dramatic weight loss, but it also reverses type 2 diabetes in most people who undergo these stomach-shrinking procedures. According to a joint statement endorsed by 45 international diabetes organizations, published in the June 2016 issue of Diabetes Care, a publication of the American Diabetes Association and the leading source for the latest research in diabetes treatment, care and prevention, experts now say that surgery for weight loss should become a more routine treatment option for people with type 2 diabetes – even those who are only mildly obese.
Many of the estimated 29 million Americans with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese. Marked by high levels of sugar in the blood, type 2 diabetes increases the risk of heart disease, kidney disease, eye and nerve complications, and other serious health problems. Currently, weight-loss surgery is considered appropriate for two groups of people: those with extreme obesity (a body mass index, or BMI, of 40 or higher) or those only with moderate obesity (BMI of 35 or higher) who also have an obesity-related health problem, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnea. But this new research recommends that even people with mild obesity (a BMI between 30 and 35) who have trouble controlling their blood sugar levels should be considered candidates for weight loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery.
The two most common weight loss procedures are the gastric bypass procedure and the gastric sleeve. Most are performed through several small belly incisions. Talk with a board certified bariatric surgeon to determine which procedure is recommended for you, based upon your medical history and weight loss goals.
After weight loss surgery, people lose weight partly because they’re physically unable to eat as much food, but also because they’re far less hungry. The stomach secretes a hunger hormone (ghrelin), so removing most of that organ also shrinks a person’s appetite. Weight loss surgery also seems to improve the body’s ability to produce and respond to insulin, the hormone that helps regulate blood sugar. Compared to medical and lifestyle treatments (such as diet and exercise), recent studies show that weight-loss surgery is far more effective for treating type 2 diabetes.
According to the Diabetes Care statement, fewer than half of adults with type 2 diabetes meet blood sugar goals and other targets that would lower their risk of long-term complications from the disease—yet another argument for including surgery for weight loss in treatment guidelines for type 2 diabetes.
Ayotunde Adeyeri, M.D., FASMBS, is a board-certified and fellowship-trained laparoscopic, bariatric and general surgeon and medical director of the Institute for Weight Loss at Raritan Bay Medical Center, a member of the Hackensack Meridian Health family. The Institute is accredited by the MBSAQIP as a Comprehensive Bariatric Center and provides individualized medical and surgical solutions and support for individuals seeking weight loss, including nutrition and lifestyle counseling. For more information or to attend a free bariatric surgery seminar, call 855.TIME.4.ME.
