Effective Ways Of Losing Extreme Weight

With the prevalence of obesity rising, TV shows and books focusing on extreme weight loss are increasingly common. If you are fighting obesity, you are just one of the 72.5 million Americans who have the same struggle, according to 2008 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. Despite the media attention and increased public awareness of the obesity epidemic, the number continues to rise. Losing a large amount of weight is not a simple or fast process, but the benefits can be life changing.

Significance

Medical professionals define a person with a body mass index, or BMI, greater than 40 as suffering from extreme obesity. The risks of carrying an excessive amount of body weight are great and range from simply feeling uncomfortable to increasing your risk of coronary heart disease and death. Other common problems include the possibility of developing sores or rashes in your skin folds, joint pain, having difficulty performing simple activities and depression, according to MayoClinic.com. Losing weight can reduce or eliminate many of these symptoms and risks.

Medical Intervention

Consult with your doctor concerning the appropriateness of enrolling in a medically supervised intervention program. A study published in the January 2010 issue of the "Archives of Internal Medicine," led by Donna Ryan, found that the participants in a medical program with a short-term liquid diet followed by a strict diet, group counseling and one of three weight-loss drugs lost significantly more weight than the participants who simply received diet guidance.

Lifestyle Interventions

Lifestyle changes such as calorie control and exercise can be an effective way to lose extreme weight. Catia Martins and colleagues conducted a research study published in the April 2010 issue of "Obesity Surgery." The researchers examined morbidly obese patients after bariatric surgery, as well as nonsurgical treatments. Martins found that although the surgical patients lost the most weight, all 179 participants lost a significant amount of weight, regardless of whether they participated in a short-term residential program, attended a fee-based weight loss camp or were monitored as an outpatient by a hospital. The study concluded that calorie reduction and lifestyle changes are an effective way to lose weight.

Surgical Options

Bariatric surgery is an increasingly common option for extremely obese patients. The Weight-Control Information Network says the surgery works by either surgically altering the size of your stomach, or placing a band around the upper portion of your stomach to reduce the amount of food your stomach can comfortably hold. This makes it difficult, if not impossible, to overeat. Because you are unable to eat large amounts of food, and are restricted in the types of foods you can eat after surgery, you will lose weight. All surgery carries risks, so consult your doctor and consider your options before committing to a surgical solution to your obesity.

Warning

With the exception of simple calorie reduction, both surgery and prescription weight-loss drugs carry risks. You and your doctor should meet together to weigh the risks of obesity with the risks of other interventions. When discussing your options, ask your doctor if he recommends you begin an exercise program. Do so only under medical supervision, as obesity can result in impaired respiratory function, as noted by Akshay Sood, who published a research study in the September 2009 issue of "Clinics in Chest Medicine."