Obesity is a chronic condition that leads to various diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, high blood cholesterol, fatty liver, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, and many others. Because obesity is related to multiple systems, the more weight you have, the harder it is to lose weight on your own, and the higher the risk becomes. Especially for those who have tried to lose weight with various health professionals but have not succeeded, weight loss surgery is an effective solution to reduce weight and maintain the reduced weight for a long time.
Do you really need surgery just to lose weight?
Weight loss surgery is not a new concept; it has been globally recognized for over 60 years. Hundreds of thousands of people have safely undergone this surgery. It can be considered a stepping stone to a new life for those who are severely obese and have obesity-related diseases. It helps reduce weight, eliminates long-standing diseases, increases energy, refreshes the body, allows wearing clothes of sizes never worn before, and with modern minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery technology, the risks are very low. Recovery is fast, return to work is quick, and it is more cost-effective for life than continuously treating obesity-related diseases without surgery.
Who is eligible for weight loss surgery?
- Having a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 37.5 (normal BMI should be between 18.5-23). BMI is calculated by weight (kg) divided by height (m) squared, for example, weight 95 kg and height 155 cm results in BMI = 95 ÷ 1.55 ÷ 1.55 = 39.5
- Having a BMI between 32.5-37.5 along with obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, high blood cholesterol, heart disease, sleep apnea, lung disease, asthma, osteoarthritis, fatty liver, varicose veins, abnormal menstruation, or infertility
- Being between 18-65 years old and having made full efforts to lose weight on your own but still unsuccessful
Confident care at every step by experts
Phyathai 3 Hospital has a comprehensive weight control and nutritional therapy center for treating obese patients. This includes dietary adjustment and exercise programs for weight loss (weight management program) for patients with mild to moderate obesity, and weight loss surgery programs for severely obese patients. These programs meet international safety standards and are closely supervised by a multidisciplinary team of specialists before and after surgery. The care is personalized according to individual health conditions and lifestyle with a personal trainer system, the first of its kind in Thailand.
What you need to know before deciding on weight loss surgery
It is very important to understand that the success of weight loss and maintaining the reduced weight depends on commitment and attention to changing eating habits and lifestyle throughout the program. Surgery is only a tool to assist in weight loss, but whether each person reaches their weight goal and maintains the reduced weight depends on post-surgery behavior. To sustain this success for a long time, behavioral changes are necessary, and one must not return to the old lifestyle that caused obesity.
