Mind Your Body TV Episode 30 with Scott Cunneen, M.D.
Approximately 200,000 people underwent bariatric or weight loss surgery last year. If you’re considering it, meet Dr. Scott Cunneen, director of bariatric surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
His new book is “Weighty Issues, Getting the Skinny on Weight Loss Surgery.“ It’s written in understandable and friendly language and I’ll bet it answers (almost) every question “in the book” about bariatric surgery. It’s also written from questions his patients have asked him—questions you may be asking yourself if you’re considering a bariatric procedure.
Is weight loss surgery for you?
Here’s the statistical skinny on the obesity epidemic in this country.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say…
- Almost 34 percent of adults age 20 years and over are obese.
- More than 34 percent of adults age 20 years and over are overweight (and not obese).
The Obesity Society says…
- Obesity is responsible for the deaths of more than 100,000 Americans each year.
- Costs attributable to obesity and overweight have been estimated at $270 billion annually, including direct medical costs and indirect costs, such as absenteeism and productivity losses.
A LifeGoesStrong.com poll says approximately 36 percent of us baby boomers are obese.
According to MedScape, the growing rate represents a pandemic that needs urgent attention if obesity’s potential toll on morbidity, mortality, and economics is to be avoided.
Types of weight loss surgery
Dr. Cunneen’s patients come in because of deteriorating health. “They’re diabetic, hypertensive, at risk for heart attack and stroke, their kidneys are failing, their hips and knees are shot from carrying so much extra weight. They have gall bladder problems, back problems, sleep apnea—or any combination of the above.”
They ask and he tells them about these types of surgeries:
1. restrictive: Your stomach is made smaller, and food is processed normally in your system.
2. malabsorptive: Your mouth is hooked up to your colon and food goes virtually from your mouth straight into the toilet. If you think these more invasive surgeries sound rather extreme, you’re right.
Fantastic gastric
He then explains these popular procedures:
1. gastric band (or lap band): An inflatable band limits how much food you can eat.
2. gastric bypass surgery (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass): The small intestine is cut to about 1½ to two feet below your stomach and is attached to the new, small stomach pouch created by surgery.
3. sleeve gastrectomy: It removes approximately 90 percent of your stomach. A tube connects your esophagus to your small intestine.
4. gastric placation: This newer procedure doesn’t cut the stomach, but folds it in on itself, reducing its size.
In this video, Dr. Cunneen explains that the journey only begins with a procedure. “Losing weight to reclaim your health requires a huge commitment and a complete change of lifestyle with regard to food…In the long run, is it worth it? You bet it is!”
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(Photo courtesy: © Cristina | Dreamstime.com)