Obesity is Taking Years Off Our Lives

"The pattern is clear. The more an individual weighs and the younger their age, the greater the effect on their health, as they have many years ahead of them during which the increased health risks associated with obesity can negatively impact their lives," Dr. Steven Grover

In writing about weight loss surgery I generally call our task weight management rather than weight loss. If all goes well with WLS the first few years following surgery are about weight loss, then we enter a phase of weight management which can be much more difficult than weight loss. A body with the metabolic disorder obesity wants to store excess body fat, that's what the disorder is. So our task is to manage body weight and avoid or limit weight gain.

A new study shared today by Medical News Today suggests there is good reason to work at weight management: Obesity reduces life expectancy and can diminish quality of life causing a loss of 19 years of healthy life. We know from our own struggle to find a healthy weight that excess body weight does indeed diminish quality of life. This study, first published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, examines the issue closely and puts tangible numbers on the true toll obesity takes.

"The researchers behind the study analyzed data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), creating a disease-simulation model to estimate the risk of adults of different body weight developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease," reports Medical News Today. "From this, the researchers then calculated the extent to which overweight and obesity may contribute to both years of life lost and years of healthy life lost in American adults aged between 20 and 79 years old, in comparison to people of normal weight."

• They found that people who were overweight (BMI 25-30 kg/m2) were estimated to lose up to 3 years of life, depending on age and gender. Individuals classed as obese (BMI 30-35 kg/m2) were calculated to lose up to 6 years, and people classed as very obese (BMI 35 kg/m2 or more) could lose up to 8 years of life.
• According to the study, excess weight had the greatest impact on lost years of life among the young and dropped with increasing age.
•  Obesity can cause the loss of up to 19 'healthy life-years'

Dr. Steven Grover, lead author and professor of medicine at McGill University and a clinical epidemiologist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre in Canada, explains the findings:

"The pattern is clear. The more an individual weighs and the younger their age, the greater the effect on their health, as they have many years ahead of them during which the increased health risks associated with obesity can negatively impact their lives," Dr. Steven Grover

These clinically meaningful calculations should prove useful for obese individuals and health professionals to better appreciate the scale of the problem and the substantial benefits of a healthier lifestyle, including changes to diet and regular physical activity."
Read the full article on Medical News Today: Obesity Can Reduce Life Up To 8 Years

This information is valuable motivation to continue weight loss efforts after surgery and practice vigilant weight management for life. After WLS do the following:

• Follow the Four Rules of weight loss surgery: Protein First, Lots of Water, No Snacking, Daily Exercise.
• Observe the liquid restrictions to maximize pouch space by eating nutrient dense food.
• Avoid eating empty calorie slider foods.
• Make healthy eating a way of life for the entire family.
• Consider healthy eating a gift of life, never a punishment.

Are you off track with your weight loss and weight management goals? Use the 5 Day Pouch Test to get back in focus and live your best healthy life. Check out this value priced quick study guide to learn more about the plan and how it will change your life:
The 5 Day Pouch Test: Express Study Guide

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