New Studies Show Benefits of Bariatric Surgery

Posted September 28, 2010 by Jacob Haiavy, MD, FACS

A recent study from George Washington University titled “A Heavy Burden: The Individual Costs of Being Overweight and Obese in the United States” found that it costs more to be overweight, and, more specifically, it costs more to be an overweight woman than an overweight man. Researchers found that the annual cost of being obese for a woman is $4,879 and $2,646 for a man; factors included sick days, extra gasoline and lost productivity. The reason it costs more for a woman is because thinner women usually earn more than their obese counterparts, but it’s not the case for men.

Another new report, released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, estimated that 70 percent of Americans are overweight and about a third are obese or at least 30 pounds overweight.

Bariatric surgery is one option for the obese. Patients can achieve a significant weight reduction and improvement in general health through a bariatric procedure, such as lap band. Weight loss surgery works by limiting the amount of food a person can consume.

One of these benefits is a decreased risk of gestational diabetes and cesarean section for obese women who have weight loss surgery before they get pregnant, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. Obese women who had weight loss surgery before conceiving were three times less likely to develop gestational diabetes.

The researchers compared rates of gestational diabetes among 346 obese women who had bariatric surgery before pregnancy and 354 obese women who had bariatric surgery after delivery.

The study found:

Rates of gestational diabetes were 8 percent for those who had the surgery before pregnancy compared with 27 percent for those who had the surgery after delivery

Rates of cesarean delivery were 28 percent for those who had the surgery before pregnancy compared with 43 percent for those who had the surgery after delivery