In honor of the Latin-American Bariatric Surgery Congress, currently in progress in Cartagena – (since I couldn’t make time in my research to go) I am posting a brand new article about bariatric surgery and the severely obese. It seems American medicine is finally starting to catch up, and take notice..

It’s hard concept out there – and I still have trouble with it myself, sometimes.. In our society, it seems we are too busy blaming ourselves, and others for being overweight and attaching labels; ‘lazy’, to really see how fundamentally things need to change to improve our health as a nation.

From my perspective, down here in Bogota – it’s interesting, because I am seeing Colombians just beginning to start to struggle with obesity – as more and more imported snack foods, and fast foods replace traditional diets. Obese people are still very rare here – and after several months, I can still say I’ve not seen a single super-obese person here, but the ‘chubbies’ are starting to grow in number..

At the same time, by being in such a walkable city, and having access to (cheap!), delicious, ripe fruit every day, I’ve managed to lose over ten pounds with almost no effort.. I’ve been tracking my walking, and I walk about 6 to 10 miles a day with my various errands. But these are things that aren’t readily available – in the urban sprawl of American life.. A week’s worth of fruit for several meals for ten dollars? Not hardly, unless you gorged yourself on bananas every single day..

Surgery as a solution seems drastic to American healthcare providers, myself including.. Removing/ destroying a perfectly functioning organ.. But then – when you look at the drastic effects, and the desperate states our patients are in – Bariatric surgery really is as lifesaving as cardiac surgery for many people.. Until we change society as a whole (which may never happen), we need to help these individuals regain their health,and their lives..

Bariatric Surgery for the Severely Obese

In the meantime, everyone, stay away from soft drinks (all soft drinks, including ‘diet drinks’, juices and fruit drinks, sweet tea) and stick to water, plain tea. Coffee too – if you remember not to load it up with too many calories.. Try it for a month, and I wager you will be unable to go back to the supersurgery drinks you formerly enjoyed out cringing..