Talk to your primary care provider about your options, or for more information on weight loss options at the Center for Weight Loss Surgery, call 859.967.5520.

Shared Benefits of Weight Loss Treatments

Obesity increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and Type 2 diabetes, among other conditions. Both medical and surgical weight loss options help manage, prevent or reverse obesity-related health issues and improve quality of life while you shed pounds.

Medical Weight Loss Options

Medical weight loss uses medication to treat obesity. Medications may make you feel full faster or less hungry or decrease the body’s ability to absorb fat. Medical weight loss is often recommended for people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, or 27 or higher with obesity-related health conditions.

“Decades ago, the medication options that were available were potentially very risky,” said Benjamin Nelter, MD, primary care physician at CHI Saint Joseph Medical Group – Primary Care in Lexington. “Over the past 15 to 20 years, more safety studies were conducted and new medications approved and made available. Patients have had tremendous success with the newest injectable medications that have excellent safety profiles and promote long-term weight loss.”

Surgical Procedures for Weight Loss

The most common weight loss surgeries make the stomach smaller to limit food intake, bypass part of the intestine to decrease absorption or both. Generally, surgery is considered when a person has a BMI of 40 or more, or 35 or greater and obesity-related conditions. “Gastric bypass is one of the safest surgeries you can have today,” said David Swedler, DO, bariatric surgeon at CHI Saint Joseph Health – Center for Weight Loss Surgery at Saint Joseph East.

“Getting a robotic-assisted gastric bypass has similar risks of complications as a hysterectomy or getting a knee replaced.”

Making a Choice

There’s no one-size-fits-all treatment for obesity. Ongoing healthy habits are essential for long-term success, no matter which treatment you choose. In addition, the right answer for you may not be one approach or the other but a combination of them. 

“It’s a multi-systemic disease, and it’s best treated with a multidisciplinary approach — medicine and possibly surgery, as well as our dietitians and exercise physiotherapists, along with the psychological component,” Dr. Swedler said. “It’s a whole-team approach to a very complex disorder.”