An estimated 34 percent of adults in the United States are obese and another 34 percent are overweight. Excess weight increases your chances of developing a variety of chronic health disorders such as cardiovascular disease. While experts suggest limiting your calorie intake and exercising most days of the week, the most you should lose on a healthy diet is 1 to 2 lbs. a week. Rapid weight loss options, including very low calorie diets and bariatric surgery are for people who are at immediate risk of dangerous health complications.
Very Low Calorie Diets
Very low calorie diets, known as VLCDs, are physician-supervised eating plans used to treat moderate and severely obese individuals. VLCDs have been studied since at least the 1980's. VLCDs can produce a weight loss of 26 ½ lbs in 12 weeks, on average. VLCDs work by allowing people to consume only 800 calories a day for a limited period of time, usually about three months. A 1989 study published by the "International Journal of Obesity," analyzed the success of VLCDs on 76 middle aged obese females. The volunteers were divided into three groups: VLCD alone, behavior therapy alone or VLCD with behavior therapy. After one year, all three groups lost weight. People in the VLCD combined with therapy lost significantly more weight.
Bariatric Surgery
Bariatric surgery is another method employed by thousands of patients each year to lose an enormous amount of weight rapidly. In 1998 more than 13,386 people underwent a bariatric procedure, by 2005 the number increased nine-fold to 121,055. Gastric bypass is a procedure in which the patient's stomach is surgically modified to take in less food. Gastric-band surgery is a procedure in which the surgeon places an adjustable band around the stomach. By following dietary and activity recommendations, patients can expect to drop 50 to 60 percent of excess weight within the first two years of surgery.
Complications
While rapid weight loss has many immediate benefits, there are very real risks. According to a 2007 report by HealthGrades, 250 patients, or 1.5 patients per 1,000, died from complications of bariatric surgery between 2003 to 2005. Developing gallstones is the most common side effect for people who lose weight rapidly. Rapid weight loss increases the production of cholesterol in the gallbladder and limits the ability to expel bile, leading to the formation of stones.
Success
Rapid weight loss diet plans and procedures that produce rapid weight loss are very successful in helping overweight and obese individuals lose a lot of weight in a short period of time. Many people, however, end up regaining the weight. In the 1989 VLCD study, a majority of participants returned to their pretreatment weight five years later. Up to two years following bariatric surgery, patients typically lose up to 60 percent of excess body weight. Between three and five years following surgery, many patients regain the weight. Clinics in Plastic Surgery reports that 25 percent of patients who had adjustable gastric band surgery and 9 percent who have had a gastric bypass failed to maintain 5 percent of the weight lost in the first 10 years following surgery.
References
- Annals of Internal Medicine: Very Low Calorie Diets: Their Efficacy, Safety, and Future
- PubMed.gov: Treatment of Obesity by Very Low Calorie Diet, Behavior Therapy, and Their Combination: A Five Year Perspective
- The Second Annual HealthGrades Bariatric Surgery Trends In American Hospitals Study, July 2007
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition:" Repeated Use of the Very-Low-Calorie Diet in a Structured Multidisciplinary Weight-Management Program
- PubMed.gov: Psychiatric Considerations of the Massive Weight Loss Patient
- Weight-Control Information Network: Very Low Calorie Diets
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