Alli is a weight loss drug launched by GlaxoSmithKline.  This latest weapon in the battle of the bulge should find willing takers in the market. Alli has shown positive results during clinical trials in which subjects showed up to seven percent loss in body weight when they underwent a program that involved diet, exercise and Alli.

Yet, as with every drug there are side effects to Alli, these include gas, frequent bowel movements and loss of control of bowel function. The side effects are a result of the drug’s action which blocks the absorption of fat in the intestine; the fat is then eliminated in the stool. The FDA however does not seem to have a problem with the drug.

For those amongst us who are obese and have not succeeded in their efforts in regulating their weight through diet and exercise, bariatric surgery is often the last recourse. The most common type of bariatric surgery is gastric bypass; it is considered safer than other weight-loss surgery and it has fewer post-operative complications. You need to educate yourself on the procedure before you decide to go with it.

You may want to undergo gastric bypass surgery if your BMI is 40 or higher or between 35 to 39.9 and you are facing obesity-related issues like diabetes and osteoarthritis.

Gastric bypass on its own does not enable a permanent weight loss solution; post surgery you have to be committed to make certain lifestyle changes. These include changes in eating habits, refraining from liquor and nicotine products, and following an exercise plan. Candidates for a gastric bypass surgery are screened by physicians, dieticians, surgeons, and psychologists to check for psychological and medical readiness.

A gastric bypass (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass) entails physically separating a part of the stomach from the rest of the stomach and attaching it to the small intestine. The separated portion is the size of a small pouch and it can hold up to an ounce of food. A gastric bypass limits an individual’s ability to absorb calories. The stomach remains healthy and continues to secrete gastric juices that mix with the food in the small intestine.

A gastric bypass can also be performed as a laparoscopic surgery. A laparoscopic gastric bypass requires a shorter stay in the hospital as compared to an “open” gastric bypass, the recovery period is shorter and there are fewer wound-related complications.

A feeling of coldness, body aches, tiredness, hair loss, and dry skin are some of the reactions that occur after a gastric bypass. Many obesity-related problems such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and high blood pressure.

Risks associated with gastric bypass surgery include blood clots in the legs, pneumonia, narrowing of the opening between the small intestine and the stomach, and in some cases even death.

Other weight-loss surgery options include adjustable gastric banding, vertical banded gastroplasty, and biliopancreatic diversion. Check out this video on gastric bypass.

Obesity is now the largest social issue faced by the US population, more so than drugs, smoking, and other issues. It places an enormous strain on the healthcare system, is difficult to manage because it is highly lifestyle related, lives are at risk and there is no effective preventive setup.

1. The obesity numbers are startling – 50% non-Hispanic black women, 15% of the children in the age of 6-19, and an amazing 31% of American adults are obese. The figure for children is the most disturbing; the numbers have more than tripled since 1980. Maximum obesity is to be found in the age-group 50-59 years; ironically an age when the body’s natural defenses are deteriorating and obesity can open the doors to diseases like the dreaded diabetes and hypertension.

2. A study of behavioral risk factors shows that those with less education, i.e. up to high school made up 27.4% of the obese sample as against those with college education and higher who were around 15.7% of the obese population studied. Blacks and Hispanic communities have maximum cases of obese individuals. The above two facts imply that obesity has economic implications and the poor are more likely to suffer from what could be considered a rich man’s disease.

3. The East South Central (Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee) region of the US is the most obese region in the US; conversely the New England Region (Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont) is the least obese one.

4. Obesity is a cost to the society; annual costs related to obesity are in the region of $130 billion with more than half being direct costs such as visits to doctors, medications, and treatment for conditions such as hypertension, heart problems, and diabetes. Indirect costs include lost working hours and work stalled because of people unable to work due to illness or disability

5. Type 2 Diabetes and Osteoarthritis are two obesity-related conditions that are a major cost burden to society and the health industry. The total cost - direct and indirect – because of type 2 diabetes is more than $100 billion while it’s around $25 billion due to osteoarthritis.

6. The list of obesity-related ailments is a long one and obese Americans are at risk from Congestive heart failure, Angina pectoris, Cholecystitis, Cholelithiasis, Osteoarthritis, Gout, Fatty liver disease, Sleep apnea and other respiratory problems, Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), Fertility complications, Pregnancy complications, Psychological disorders, Uric acid nephrolithiasis (kidney stones), Stress urinary incontinence, Cancer of the kidney, endometrium, breast, colon and rectum, esophagus, prostate and gall bladder, Death.

7. Surgical procedures that obese people undergo are more often than not traumatic experiences. Complications are not uncommon, ruptured blood vessels in the lungs, leaking and bleeding of the stomach and intestines, infections of the lungs, blood clotting in veins and infections of the small intestines are some of the complications that can arise.

8. Surgery for obesity results in a follow-up surgery for more than 20% of the patients for corrections to remove obstructive complications such as abdominal hernias; gallstones occur in almost a third of the patients who lose weight quickly. Nutrition deficiencies, anemia, and osteoporosis can happen due to long-term loss of absorptive function. One in two hundred cases can result in death.