Ketosis Diets And Weight Loss Surgery

Ketosis, or ketogenic, diets and weight-loss surgery can be effective ways of losing large amounts of weight. Ketogenic diets may also be effective as a treatment for epilepsy. These methods carry significant risks, however, and must be recommended and supervised by a medical doctor.

Ketogenic Diets

If you cut carbohydrates from your diet, your body burns its built-in energy stores -- glycogen and fat -- instead. The breakdown of fat tissues causes small carbon fragments called ketones to be released into the blood, causing a condition called ketosis. Many people use unsupervised ketogenic diets for weight loss. These diets offer quick but often temporary results, and are associated with such negative side effects as kidney stones, cognitive problems, osteoporosis, constipation and cholesterol problems.

Ketogenic Diets and Epilepsy

Hospitals like Stanford Medical Center and Johns Hopkins University offer medically supervised ketogenic diets as a treatment for epilepsy. The results are promising but unreliable: a 2002 Johns Hopkins study showed that seizures were reduced by 50 percent for about 50 percent of subjects. The reasons for this split are not fully understood. It can be difficult to maintain these results over time, as the diet is so restrictive that patients often return to normal eating habits when the programs end.

Weight-Loss Surgery

If you are a woman at least 80-lbs. overweight, a man at least 100-lbs. overweight, or are experiencing weight-related health problems such as diabetes or heart disease, you might be a candidate for weight-loss surgery. The most common procedures involve stapling, banding or removing parts of the stomach so that you can consume or digest less and still feel satisfied. It is essential that you follow your doctor's post-surgery dietary recommendations. Risks of these procedures include infection, blood clots and hernias.

Losing Weight Healthfully

A body mass index, or BMI, of 25 or higher means you may be overweight. Moderate, long-term changes to your eating habits, along with exercise, are the healthiest and most effective ways to lose extra weight. Eat a diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean proteins. Avoid saturated fats, trans fats, processed foods and added sugars. If you think a ketogenic diet or weight-loss surgery might benefit you, speak with your doctor.