Obesity has intimate relationship with diabetes. Obesity is a serious disease with associated symptoms like high blood sugar, high blood pressure, intermittent stoppage of breathing while asleep, fatty liver, depression, besides asthma and some types of cancers.
Diabetes occurs when the blood sugar levels get above the normal levels.
The roots of ‘Diabesity’ have resulted from the collision of our genes with the modern environmental factors. Our bodies store fat which are excess calories. Nowadays, fast food is available everywhere, which coupled with the increasingly inactive lifestyle, results in obesity. Diabetes and obesity have the global reach and impact. An average person consumes 40 teaspoons of sugar daily. This is the reason for the increase in ‘diabesity’. When we eat lots of carbohydrates, our sugar levels spike and this further stimulates our body to store fat. To balance the blood sugar levels, we need to limit our carbohydrate intake to one to three choices (15- 45 grams of carbs) in each meal.
Type 2 diabetes was once considered to be older person disease but the alarming thing is that now children as young as nine years of age have contracted it. Pregnant women who are obese are more likely to have overweight children.
There is also an emotional effect of obesity making patients prone to develop mental symptoms like depression, anxiety and eating disorders.
Bariatric surgery is a lifestyle modification surgery which not only reduces weight but through its hormonal effect, cures or controls the medical conditions associated with it. Its effect on glucose control and other metabolic problems is striking.
Bariatric surgery can be safely done in patients between 18 and 65 years of age who have failed weight loss alternatives.
Not only extra fat of the patient is reduced but many obesity-related conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, heart diseases are either resolved or significantly improved.
All the bariatric surgeries are done laparoscopically by making small incisions (4 to 6) ranging from 5 to 15 mm, through which the surgeon inserts laparoscopic instruments to perform the surgery. There are various ways of doing bariatric surgery like Sleeve gastrectomy which restricts the food intake and Gastric Bypass (Roux – en - y and Mini Gastric Bypass) which in addition also limits the absorption of ingested food.
Nowadays with the advent of new stapling devices, the risks associated with the procedure are negligible and are like any other laparoscopic surgery. Patient can go home after two to three days and start their routine work after one week and strenuous activity after six weeks. The diet after surgery goes through various phases starting from all liquid diet to semisolid to complete diet over six to eight weeks.
