Bariatic Surgery in Dubai - FAT is definitely NOT the new FIT
Widely known as the land of sun, sand, site-seeing and shopping, the United Arab Emirates is also fast gaining the dubious reputation of being the capital of sedentary lifestyles.
According to a study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), the year 2012 saw 67% of Emirati men and 72% of Emirati women falling in the ‘overweight' category. Additionally, roughly 40% of Emirati women were categorized as being obese.Even the future of U.A.E.'s fairer sex was weighed down by the study, which predicted that not less than 44.6% of Emirati women would be obese by the year 2015 – that is barely eight months from now.
Therefore, in a bid to clamp down on those expanding waistlines quickly and effectively, there has been a boom in fitness surgeries in the region, what with patients more than willing to part with large sums of moneyin exchange for a svelte figure. This is particularly true in Dubai, which has seen the domain of healthcare swing towards tackling and curbing obesity-related conditions.
Also known as bariatic surgery, such procedures help one lose weight while also lowering one's risk of medical problems associated with obesity. Bariatic procedures are further divided into two categories: restriction surgeries and malabsorption surgeries.
Restriction surgeries, which are becoming increasingly common among the obese population, involve physically limiting the amount of food the stomach can hold, thereby reducing one's overall calorie intake. Adjustable laparoscopic gastric banding (which involves placing an inflatable band around the upper stomach, thereby creating a very narrow opening to the rest of the stomach) and sleeve gastrectomy (in which approximately 75% of the stomach is removed, leaving just a small sleeve that connects to the intestines) fall in this category.
Malabsorption surgery, shorten or bypass part of the small intestine, which ultimately leads to lesser absorption of nutrients and calories by the body. The Roux-en-Y surgery, for example, uses both restriction and malabsorption methods to aid weight loss. In this procedure, a small pouch is created at the top of the stomach for the purpose of receiving food. The small intestine is then cut a little distance away from the main stomach and connected to this pouch, thereby enabling the passage of very small amounts of food. In the duodenal switch method, the surgeon removes a large part of the stomach, leaving intact the valve that releases food to the small intestine and the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine). The middle section of the intestine is then closed, while the last part is linked directly to the duodenum.
However, even a successful weight-loss surgery, as costly as it may be, has its roots in exercise. Experts opine that if a patient is able to increase his/her fitness levels and cardiovascular condition, he/she has better chances of benefitting from the surgery, as compared to a patient who doesn't exercise. Therefore, patients are advised to make weight loss their primary goal at the preoperative stage. In fact, most surgeons compulsorily require a patient to lose a particular amount of weight before they begin with the procedure.
Post-operative exercises usually revolve around flexibility routines, trained breathing and gradual resumption of daily chores. Patients are also advised not to lift anything heavier than 15 lbs for the first six weeks following surgery. Abdominal exercises are a no-no up to 12 weeks post-surgery, thereby allowing the incision to heal. Caloric intake is also generally reduced to less than 500 calories daily, which implies that one should exercise only up to his/her pain threshold. Surgeons gradually increase the intake of calories as well as the level of exercise once they are satisfied with the amount of weight lost.
Conclusively, with the fast swelling obese population in the U.A.E. leading to a simultaneous rise in the demand for fitness surgeries, several people affected by the condition are coming to realize that fat is definitely not the new fit.
According to a study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), the year 2012 saw 67% of Emirati men and 72% of Emirati women falling in the ‘overweight' category. Additionally, roughly 40% of Emirati women were categorized as being obese.Even the future of U.A.E.'s fairer sex was weighed down by the study, which predicted that not less than 44.6% of Emirati women would be obese by the year 2015 – that is barely eight months from now.
Therefore, in a bid to clamp down on those expanding waistlines quickly and effectively, there has been a boom in fitness surgeries in the region, what with patients more than willing to part with large sums of moneyin exchange for a svelte figure. This is particularly true in Dubai, which has seen the domain of healthcare swing towards tackling and curbing obesity-related conditions.
Also known as bariatic surgery, such procedures help one lose weight while also lowering one's risk of medical problems associated with obesity. Bariatic procedures are further divided into two categories: restriction surgeries and malabsorption surgeries.
Restriction surgeries, which are becoming increasingly common among the obese population, involve physically limiting the amount of food the stomach can hold, thereby reducing one's overall calorie intake. Adjustable laparoscopic gastric banding (which involves placing an inflatable band around the upper stomach, thereby creating a very narrow opening to the rest of the stomach) and sleeve gastrectomy (in which approximately 75% of the stomach is removed, leaving just a small sleeve that connects to the intestines) fall in this category.
Malabsorption surgery, shorten or bypass part of the small intestine, which ultimately leads to lesser absorption of nutrients and calories by the body. The Roux-en-Y surgery, for example, uses both restriction and malabsorption methods to aid weight loss. In this procedure, a small pouch is created at the top of the stomach for the purpose of receiving food. The small intestine is then cut a little distance away from the main stomach and connected to this pouch, thereby enabling the passage of very small amounts of food. In the duodenal switch method, the surgeon removes a large part of the stomach, leaving intact the valve that releases food to the small intestine and the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine). The middle section of the intestine is then closed, while the last part is linked directly to the duodenum.
However, even a successful weight-loss surgery, as costly as it may be, has its roots in exercise. Experts opine that if a patient is able to increase his/her fitness levels and cardiovascular condition, he/she has better chances of benefitting from the surgery, as compared to a patient who doesn't exercise. Therefore, patients are advised to make weight loss their primary goal at the preoperative stage. In fact, most surgeons compulsorily require a patient to lose a particular amount of weight before they begin with the procedure.
Post-operative exercises usually revolve around flexibility routines, trained breathing and gradual resumption of daily chores. Patients are also advised not to lift anything heavier than 15 lbs for the first six weeks following surgery. Abdominal exercises are a no-no up to 12 weeks post-surgery, thereby allowing the incision to heal. Caloric intake is also generally reduced to less than 500 calories daily, which implies that one should exercise only up to his/her pain threshold. Surgeons gradually increase the intake of calories as well as the level of exercise once they are satisfied with the amount of weight lost.
Conclusively, with the fast swelling obese population in the U.A.E. leading to a simultaneous rise in the demand for fitness surgeries, several people affected by the condition are coming to realize that fat is definitely not the new fit.
