Introduction

Obesity has been declared by the WHO "World Health Organization" as an epidemic disease of the 21st Century.

For centuries, overweight has been sentencing people to physical pain, declining health, and social isolation.

Being overweight is closely linked with obesity-associated health conditions such as:
Chronic hip, knee, foot and back pain, diabetes (high blood sugar levels), hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, hyperlipidemia, hormonal imbalances, gallstones, sleep apnea, infertility, increase in some cancers and many others which could have a substancial impact on your life.

The social indignities of overweight can be just as distressing and embarrassing and may also lead to serious psychological impairment. Now, there is a way out for suitably qualified patients who experienced unsuccessful attempts to lose weight by non-surgical treatment (approach). Surgical treatment in combination with behavior modification is currently the only proven method in achieving long-term weight loss.

Dieting has always been a difficult and not very rewarding process. On the strictest diet, one can lose maximum of 2 stone in one year. Since it's almost impossible for someone to diet all his life, this person will very likely gain all his weight back after several years.
Moreover, a recent study shows that more than 95% of the patients who have gone on a diet, return to their initial weight after 1 to 2 years and many end up weighing more than before ( the yo-yo effect).

With the Gastric banding method, on the other hand, patients lose about 30-40% of their initial weight in the first year after surgery, without even having to go on a diet!
For example : a patient who weights 100kg (16 Stone - 222 Pounds), will lose with the Gastric banding method between 30 to 40 kg ( 5-6.3 Stone - 66-89 Pounds)during the first year. Thereafter, he will lose the extra weight until reaching his ideal weight. We can expect that approximatively 85% of patients will lose 80% or more of their excess weight within 20 months after surgery. The weight will then probably remain constant for the rest of his life.
He will lose weight quickly and ...will stay slim!

More significantly, other studies have shown that 96% of certain overweight-associated health conditions, such as back pain, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, diabetes and depression, were improved or resolved after surgery.

The U.S. National Institute of Health stated that weight loss surgery is the only treatment option that can produce long-term weight loss,when other treatment options have failed. However, the operation is only the first step in your major lifestyle adjustment and change.
The patient must understand that to have a successful weight loss after the surgery will require long term co-operation and adherence to the advice of the surgeon.
In other words, Gastric Banding will enable you to lose weight in a spectatular way,
and... will change your life completely!!