Rationale for surgery

Rationale for surgery

Owing to the tendency for basal metabolic rate to decrease with dietary calorie restriction most people will regain all their weight, returning to the previous homeostatic set point. Bariatric surgery appears to alter this mechanism and ‘reset’ this point, with 15–25% weight loss maintenance for up to Summary box 68.1 Rationale for surgery /uni25CF /uni25CF /uni25CF term survival benefit and improves obesity-related disease and quality of life, it is available to only a fraction of the individuals who could potentially benefit. This is largely because of inequalities in healthcare prioritisation, misconceptions and obesity stigma. Person-first language should alwa ys be used (‘patient with obesity’ or ‘patient with diabetes’) to avoid categorising patients as the disease, to reduce stigma.

Because of the tendency for basal metabolic rate to decrease with dieting, most people will regain all their weight, returning to the previous homeostatic set point Bariatric surgery appears to alter this mechanism and ‘reset’ this point, with 15–25% weight loss maintenance for up to 20 years Bariatric surgery leads to long-term survival bene /f_i t and improves obesity-related disease and quality of life