Health Headlines: Bariatric surgery and cancer prevention

CLEVELAND, Ohio (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Obesity is a chronic disease that leads to very poor health. A body mass index of 30 or higher is classified as obese and over 100 million people in the United States fit the class. Recent research shows that obesity can have an even worse effect on your health than ever known before.

Forty-two percent of Americans are classified as obese and this puts them at risk for developing deadly diseases like cancer.

“There are a number of obesity-related cancers, which are 13 different kinds. These are cancers of the stomach, of the liver, the gallbladder, the pancreas, the colon and rectum, ovaries, uterus, even breast cancer,” General and Bariatric Surgeon at The Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Rickesha Wilson, explains.

Recent research from The Cleveland Clinic shows that instead of lifestyle modifications, longer-lasting permanent therapies could be the gateway to saving lives.

Dr. Wilson adds, “It seems like bariatric surgery can reduce that risk significantly.”

Bariatric surgery has been shown to be the most effective way for people with obesity to lose weight, and in a study of 5,000 patients who underwent bariatric surgery, patients showed a 32 percent lower risk of developing cancer and a 48 percent lower risk of dying from cancer.

“We found that for weight loss strategies, bariatric surgery is the most effective,” Dr. Wilson says with confidence.

Most insurance companies will partially cover the amount for bariatric surgery if the patient is in stage three of chronic obesity.

Contributors to this news report include Ally Stratis, Producer; Cleveland Clinic, Videographer; Roque Correa, Editor.

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