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- You need to burn 3,500 calories to lose a pound of body weight.
- You know your height and weight. You also should know your blood pressure, cholesterol level, and Body Mass Index (BMI).
- Obesity has been directly linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and type II diabetes and may set the stage for a host of other illnesses. In fact, American Cancer Society researchers recently announced that obesity accounts for about 90,000 cancer deaths a year in this country.
- Today 127 million Americans, more than one-third of the adult population, are overweight, and 60 million are obese. An estimated 9 million of those are considered morbidly obese.
- According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an increase in 20 percent or more above your ideal body weight is the point at which excess weight becomes a health risk.
- Obesity surgery may be recommended as a treatment option for people who:
- Weigh more than 50 percent of their ideal body weight
- Have a BMI of
- 40 or over; or
- 35 to 39.9 with serious medical conditions, such as heart problems, diabetes, sleep apnea or other risk factors
- According to the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, surgeons will perform 175,000 to 200,000 bariatric procedures this year (up from 47,000 in 2001).
- Surgery is a well-established method for long-term weight control for persons with severe obesity.
- Patients should be motivated and committed to making a lifestyle change after surgery.
- A medical team, including behavioral and nutritional professionals, should be part of a life-long follow-up plan.
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