Weight Loss Surgery Could Boozing Be A Side Effect

Inspiration

Have a fruit. It's nature's way of reminding you sweetness grows naturally.

Weight loss surgery is on the rise. Going under the knife to handle your weight loss struggle may cause psychological stress. Many people that undergo bariatric surgery are required to see a psychologist to work through the psychological difficulties of cutting down on the amount of food consumed. Following the surgery, recipients of the Lap-Band (a popular gastric banding device) can only eat about a half cup of food at one time. It’s not just food restriction that may cause psychological distress, alcohol too may be dangerous for people post-surgery. Indeed, the study suggests people can’t physically drink as much and they can’t handle their alcohol as well.

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As part of the study researchers gave 19 patients five ounces of red wine to drink in less then one minute. They were given this test once before the surgery, again at at three months after the surgery and six months after the surgery. Blood alcohol content was measured by a breathalyzer. “The time it took to become sober was 49 minutes before surgery. It increased to 61 minutes at three months and 88 minutes at six months after the surgery.” This was a small study, but with interesting results. People’s bodies may not metabolize booze the same way they once did. Plus, because of the drastic lifestyle changes people may be more inclined to reach for booze in order to cope with the psychological stress.

As we reported earlier, the FDA advisory panel approved an expansion of the use of Allergan Inc’s Lap-Band, a gastric banding device used to achieve weight loss in morbidly obese adults. The FDA committee voted 8-2 that the benefits of the Lap-Band surgery outweighed the risks for those with lower BMIs, such as those considered overweight or obese. Up until now, the Lap-Band was only approved for those who have reportedly been unable to lose weight through diet and exercise and have either a BMI of 40 or above or approximately 100 lbs. overweight, or a combination of a BMI of 35 or above and at least one serious weight-related health problem, such as hypertension or diabetes. Allergan submitted a request to the FDA asking to market the Lap-Band device to people with a BMI of 35, or to those with a BMI of 30 with concurrent health problems.

According to the New York Times, this approval could double the number of Americans who qualify for Lap-Band surgery; Allergan certainly has the staggering obesity statistics to back up its request.

Medical device companies and pharmaceuticals make a tremendous amount of money off of those in poor health. Obesity is, after all, a remarkably expensive condition. It is estimated that we spend $147 billion a year treating weight-related illnesses. This FDA approval will mean that insurance companies will be able to cover the cost of the surgery.

With summertime here, weight loss is certainly on everyone’s mind. Read this article on the top six ways to trim belly fat fast.

The supporting research

Gastric Bypass Surgery Linked to Alcohol Dependence

Summary
Obesity is a major public health problem. In the United States, the percentage of obese people has increased from 15 percent of the population in 1980 to 33.3 percent of men and 35.3 percent of women in 2006. Gastric bypass surgery has been found to be useful for weight loss in extremely obese patients; but the change in metabolism after surgery is a cause for concern. This study found that alcohol metabolism is changed — peak alcohol levels become higher and the time it takes to become sober is prolonged — after gastric bypass surgery in patients. The symptoms of intoxication also change after surgery. Patients who have undergone gastric bypass surgery for obesity need to be careful about alcohol consumption.

Read the entire report