With more and more people realizing that it is simply unhealthy to be over weight, the battle of the bulge continues. While almost everyone knows that a restriction of calories followed by some exercise will achieve their goals, not everyone has the time to wait, or the patience.

Surgery is not a first option. Before a doctor will consider a patient for this invasive type of move, they will ask many questions. Questions being how long have you been trying to lose weight, how much weight do you have to lose, and they will make sure that the person is healthy enough to undergo the lap band surgery.

This “diet plan” works by putting a band around the top of the stomach creating a little pouch. The band is loose enough that food can still pass into the lower part of the stomach where digesting takes place, however by keeping food in this little part on top a person will feel full on fewer amounts of food. It also keeps the food in the stomach longer, thereby keeping the person feeling that “just ate” feeling longer. The band is adjustable, and usually many trips to the doctor’s office have to be part of the patients aftercare to achieve the “just right” tightness of the band. The band has to be loose enough that food can still pass through to the rest of the digestive system, but not so loose that the person does not feel their hunger controlled.

This surgery is not without risks, and should not be undertaken lightly. It is considered a major surgery. Although, it is the least invasive of all the major surgeries, with any type of surgery of this magnitude death is a possibility. Too much weight loss to quickly can also cause health issues, much like that of someone on a starvation diet. Many trips to the doctor could be needed afterward, making what once seemed a simple idea a major part of a patient’s life.

For this reason surgery is not even considered unless a person is significantly overweight. With few exceptions a person has to have a BMI of 40 or more. Loosely translated that means you must be about one hundred pounds more than your ideal weight. A lower BMI of 35 might be considered, but only if a person has health issues related to their weight. Also, it is common practice for a doctor to insist that a patient considering any type of weight loss surgery has a thorough psychological evaluation to be sure that they are indeed ready for what they want to do.