An alarming statistic was released last week by the CDC when a study stated the obesity rate rose to 38%.  Women now hold a lead in obesity over men by a margin of 4% (38% vs 34%) and in just 10 years the prevalence of obesity in America has risen nearly 6%. This comes at a time when the CDC had thought the incidence of obesity had evened off and now showed that 40% of middle aged adults are obese in America. It also showed that children are getting heavier more quickly and this alone leads to worsened obesity in the adult population in the future. What is behind this increase? Is there something we can do to curb an even further increase in obesity over the next 10 years? These answers are not known. Fast food chains offer healthy options, our children have healthier choices at school and obesity is being discussed more as a disease and not an issue of an individual’s personal choices.

As this epidemic worsens, medical issues related to obesity will continue to worsen. Where does the spiral end? As we get heavier, we become more prone to sleep apnea. When we have sleep apnea, we do not sleep through the night to get well rested. When we do not sleep well through the night, studies have shown that we gain weight. There are many instances that show obesity begets worsening obesity. We understand that this is a problem someone cannot attack on their own. We need support to tackle this issue on an individual basis. We need to look to our partners for eating smaller and healthier choices and exercising more. By exercise, I mean just walking or biking, not running a marathon.

At New You Sleeve, we also know that diets and medications fail a very large amount of the time. Weight loss surgery is very effective and can routinely help individuals lose 80% of their excess body weight. We also do not propose that every overweight individual sign up for a gastric sleeve either. The steps are clear. Everyone should wholeheartedly attempt to diet and try to lose weight without surgery or medications first. If this does not work, then every person should research all of their options on their own to decide what is the best next step for them. Do not let someone talk you into a procedure you do not fully understand and are 100% willing and informed to have. After your own research, call a qualified and very experienced surgeon in bariatrics, if that is what you have decided is best for you. At New You Sleeve, our surgeons have performed well over 10,000 procedures and have results that no one in America can best. If you are looking for a safe, experienced, and overly qualified surgeon, you need to look no further.