Bariatric Center at Saint Francis Bariatric Center

Weight-loss, with or without surgery More than one-third of adults in the United States are considered overweight. Shedding those extra pounds can help you to look and feel better. At Saint Francis we offer a full spectrum of programs, from nutrition classes to bariatric surgery, to help you lose weight.  Weight problems and other health issues Weight loss can reduce your risk of some health conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea, liver disease, and even certain lung diseases. If you already have one or more of these health problems, weight loss may lessen symptoms and help in other ways. In some cases, a health problem linked to weight may go away after weight loss. Benefits of bariatric surgery Bariatric surgery may help you lose a large amount of excess weight and keep it off. Doctors most often recommend bariatric surgery to people with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater. BMI is a measurement that compares a person's height and weight. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 means overweight. A BMI higher than 30 means obese. Your doctor might also suggest bariatric surgery if your BMI is between 35 and 40 and you have a medical problem that may get better with weight loss. People who undergo bariatric surgery tend to lose much more weight than people who get medical therapy for their weight loss. This means that surgery is more likely to help with medical conditions linked to obesity, such as diabetes or sleep apnea. But the results do vary. Some people can have large weight loss with medical therapy alone. And some people do not lose as much weight as they want after surgery.

• Middlesex Health Center for Medical and Surgical Weight Loss — Middletown, CT