Obesity-related health issues now responsible for more doctor visits by Americans than smoking, new study shows

Nevin Barich

LOS ANGELES , July 30, 2012 (press release) – A new study seems to indicate what many public health experts have been saying for a long time: obesity has become North America's #1 health menace. The results of the effort by Concordia University indicate that obesity-related health issues are now responsible for more doctor visits than smoking, long regarded as public health enemy #1. Regardless of the cause, one result of the increasingly intractable obesity epidemic is clear: continually growing interest in weight loss surgeries.

For highly regarded bariatric surgeon Dr. Michael Feiz, the news seems to indicate that there will be no shortage of patients considering such increasingly popular procedures as lap band surgery to handle health-threatening levels of excess body weight. Indeed, the acceptance of weight loss surgery by patients and medical experts has expanded greatly as people with serious and intractable obesity are increasingly examining standard gastric bypass surgery as well as newer approaches such as the lap band and the gastric sleeve.

The arguments over the cause of the increase in obesity are familiar as the controversies. Late night comedians might be having a field day over the ruckus raised by New York City's ban on "super-sized" sugary drinks, the results of obesity are clearly no laughing matter to countless individuals suffering from a host of obesity related maladies including heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Clearly, there is some connection between the growing rate of obesity, our increasingly sedentary life and work styles, and the ever- growing availability of inexpensive foods containing large amounts of fat and sugar. Unfortunately, understanding the causes of our growing waistline does little to lighten the load for the millions of Americans who are finding that simply deciding to eat less doesn't stop the body's powerful drive to consume more calories.

As the number of bariatric surgeries has gradually increased, so has the acceptance of the various procedures -- including the modern version of the gastric bypass. Such respected weight loss surgeons as Dr. Feiz regularly inform their patients that surgery should not be contemplated until after a reduced calorie diet and vigorous exercise has been seriously attempted. Even so, the fact of the matter is that the traditional path to weight loss presents what appears to be an impossible dream for many morbidly obese individuals.

Among those who are interested in exploring the surgical option, Dr. Michael Feiz remains one of the most respected resources for bariatric surgery. His compassionate and sensitive approach to issues surrounding weight loss, eating, and exercise, and his renowned surgical skill and zero mortality rate, have made his clinic a primary option for seriously obese patients considering bariatric surgery.

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