Obesity is a serious problem not just in Singapore but worldwide. Not only is obesity associated with poorer mental health and reduced quality of life, it’s also one of the leading causes of health conditions like diabetes, stroke, heart disease and certain types of cancer.

Apart from the standard weight loss protocol, bariatric surgery or weight loss surgery is something severely obese options can consider. It involves changing the anatomy or position of the stomach and small intestines. Doing so causes a decrease in appetite and food absorption, thereby leading to weight loss.

There are a few types of bariatric surgery procedures to choose from. How can you decide which is best for you? In this article, I will compare the two bariatric procedures most commonly performed in Singapore: a gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy.

Previously, I introduced something called a gastric balloon, a revolutionary treatment that allows overweight individuals to lose weight without bariatric surgery or a gastric sleeve procedure. I’m excited to announce that I will be one of the first in Singapore to launch the Elipse Balloon, a new generation of gastric balloon from Europe that is swallowable like a pill.

Despite the plethora of information out there on weight loss and exercise, many are still misinformed about how to go about shedding some kilos, as evident by the number of crash diets I see. Now, don’t get me wrong — while some effort is still effort, wouldn’t you want to sustain the results of your hard work? While fad diets may help temporarily, you’ll most likely gain back weight as fast as you lost them.

A caloric deficit is king when trying to lose weight. Combine that with exercise, you’ll be able to reach your goals even faster. On the surface, it may sound simple, but I understand it may not be that way for some due to reasons like genetics and hormones. The biggest hurdle seems to be overcoming the feeling of hunger. “If only I wouldn’t feel so hungry all the time” — a line I commonly hear from patients.

To solve this solution, allow me to introduce something called a gastric balloon.

Previously, I touched on gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy, two very popular forms of bariatric surgery. In this post, I’ll introduce to you gastric band surgery.

Gastric band surgery or gastric banding is another surgical option I recommend to treat obesity. Similar to gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy, gastric band surgery helps in weight loss by restricting the number of calories the patient consumes. It does not, however, involve any cutting or removing any parts of the stomach. So how does it work?

Let’s find out!

Obesity is a serious condition. Those with obesity often have a series of medical conditions, such as sleep apnea, cancers and cardiovascular diseases. Worldwide, there are about 2.8 million obesity-related deaths every year.

At a fundamental level, increasing physical activity and consuming less calories would naturally lead to weight loss. But eating behaviour and our ability to lose weight is also driven by genetics, hormones and neural circuits — so thinking that combating obesity with just eating less is over simplifying the matter.

Often, severely obese patients who do not successfully lose weight despite diet and lifestyle efforts opt to do bariatric surgery.

Bariatric surgery refers to surgical procedures that remove or reduce the size of the stomach to treat obesity. Patients typically experience rapid weight loss after bariatric surgery. Gastric sleeve surgery or sleeve gastrectomy is a bariatric surgery option.

What does it involve, how effective is it and are there any possible complications? This article will find out more.