What Are the Benefits of Metabolic Surgery for Weight Loss?
Weight loss remains a significant concern for millions of individuals worldwide, as obesity continues to pose a threat to both physical and mental health. While lifestyle modifications, dietary changes, and pharmacological interventions such as Ozempic have shown promise in weight management, metabolic surgery remains proven as the most powerful tool in the battle against obesity.
But why?
There are three key elements in play that mean metabolic surgery provides a significantly larger magnitude of weight loss compared to Ozempic, Mounjaro and similar drugs.
What Is Metabolic Surgery?
Metabolic surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, encompasses several different surgical procedures today proven to promote weight loss and improve metabolic health. These procedures include gastric bypass, gastric sleeve, and duodenal switch.
Unlike Ozempic, which is a medication that mimics one hormone (GLP-1) to affect the body’s metabolism and appetite regulation, metabolic surgery affects dozens of key hormones and physically alters the gastrointestinal tract to induce long term weight loss and health improvement.
Today, the 45-minute surgery is considered among the safest procedures regularly performed in the hospital, and it delivers long-term benefits that can’t be achieved with other methods.
So, how does it work?
Hormonal Changes
Metabolic surgery alters multiple gut hormones, including ghrelin, leptin, PYY and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), for the better. These hormonal changes help suppress appetite, reduce long-term blood glucose, reduce fat storage, and enhance satiety, all of which contribute to substantial weight loss.
Researchers have described these long-lasting effects as comparable to taking Ozempic forever – along with a dozen other life-enhancing hormonal supplements.
Gut Microbiome Changes
Metabolic surgery has been shown to create favorable changes in the microbiome of our gut. In other words, the bacteria that live on our intestines naturally shift to a population favoring lower body weight instead of ever-increasing obesity.
Reduced Inflammatory Markers
Metabolic surgery results in lower inflammation throughout the body as measured by several serum markers like (-reactive protein (CRP}, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR}, and procalcitonin (PCT}. What’s more, restriction and calorie malabsorption, once thought to be the dominant mechanisms, probably play only a small role.
Other Benefits
Studies consistently demonstrate the superior effectiveness of metabolic surgery when compared to Ozempic and other non-surgical interventions. While Ozempic can lead to moderate weight loss, metabolic surgery offers significantly better results.
Research indicates that patients undergoing metabolic surgery can achieve weight loss ranging from 30% to 40% of their initial body weight, versus 5-12% with Wegovy or Ozempic. Such substantial weight loss leads to remarkable improvements in obesity-related comorbidities like type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea.
Another advantage of metabolic surgery over Ozempic is its long-term sustainability. While Ozempic requires continued medication usage for weight management, metabolic surgery provides lasting results.
The physiological changes induced by surgery have a profound impact on an individual’s metabolism, appetite regulation, and overall lifestyle. This leads to sustained weight loss and increased chances of maintaining a healthy weight in the long run, improving quality of life and reducing the risk of obesity-related complications.
The Takeaway
Metabolic surgery stands out as a powerful intervention for weight loss, improved health, diabetes reversal, and improved longevity. In short, results far surpass those achievable with Ozempic or other non-surgical approaches.
Through physical alterations of the gastrointestinal tract and hormonal changes, metabolic surgery addresses more of the root causes of obesity, leading to significant and sustained weight loss. It empowers individuals to achieve remarkable transformations, not only in terms of their energy level and appearance but also in their overall health and well-being.
Nearly all health insurance plans cover metabolic surgery, and for those who qualify (usually starting with a BMI over 35), metabolic surgery represents a life-changing opportunity to reclaim their health, vitality, and happiness.
Let’s Have a Conversation:
Have you tried medication for weight loss? Were the results permanent? Were they expected? What else have you tried? Has it worked? What have you heard about metabolic surgery? What questions might you have about this procedure? Please share your experience.
I’ve seen more articles like this lately and I believe it is because medical centers who specialize in bariatric surgery are in a panic. They see the handwriting on the wall that tells them that patients will be turning to the new generation of weight loss drugs and turning away from surgery, and their cash cow will be gone. I have known people who had these surgeries and the side effects are nasty. In many cases weight is regained, unless the person is strict about what they eat. Apparently, the new weight loss drugs are effective as long as they are taken, and they can be taken for life. I would be interested in knowing if the author of this article owns a weight loss surgery center. If so, I don’t appreciate Sixty And Me giving him free advertising.
You hit the nail on the head. Just looked him up and he’s a bariatric surgeon. Keep in mind though that weight loss drugs are no panacea. Just look at what happened with Fen/Phen: A biased approval by FDA followed by a lot of women’s deaths and withdrawal of the drug. The real problem here is the diet industrial complex, which has weaponized weight prejudice against American women. We can choose healthy ways to stay healthy, at every size.
It’s ironic that this should be published just as Lisa Marie Presley died of complications for such surgery performed some years ago.
For the first time ever, I’ve started to see pieces like this, advertising bariatric surgery, all over the internet. Is this a coincidence, or does it have something to do with the recent popularity of effective weight loss drugs? As always, follow the money.
Interesting timing! The coroner just released a finding this week that Lisa Marie Presley died of complications of bariatric surgery, as reported in The New York Times. Meanwhile Tufts University is suggesting that folks over 65 stop paying attention to BMI, because it can increase simply due to our growing shorter with the years, and because it can decrease as a result of either osteoporosis or sarcopenia (muscle loss with age). Far better, they’re suggesting, to focus on weight training to built muscle mass and protect bones from osteoporosis. Let’s focus on healthy ways to preserve our health, please.