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OUR GOAL
To maximize the opportunity of
achieving long term weight management goals for all of
our patients. We will provide the Bariatric patient with
the maximum educational information so they can make the
best choices for their long-term success. We will help
the patient understand their central role and commitment
in their individualized weight management plan. We will
help the patient build their support structures with
family, church, medical providers and our comprehensive
program to increase the likelihood of long-term success.
Our ultimate goal is to help our Bariatric patients to
be healthy again for themselves, their spouse, their
children, and their grandchildren.
OUR PHILOSOPHY - A NEW
BEGINNING
The only thing consistent in life
is change. Sadly as we age we generally try to reduce
the likelihood of experiencing change and new
challenges. Familiarity seems to bring comfort and
satisfaction. However, embracing change and accepting
new challenge are the only way to overcome life’s
obstacles. We at SAMA Bariatrics are an agent of change;
we are the catalyst dedicated to helping you achieve
your weight management goals.
I vividly remember only 15 years ago the novelty of the
first child I saw with a genetic disorder, an 8 year old
boy weighing over 200 pounds. However, in the last
several months, I have seen a normal 5 year-old that
weighs 130 pounds and I have diagnosed diabetes type II
in 3 severely obese teenagers, the youngest was only 13.
Researchers found carotid artery disease in obese
children as young as 10 years of age. Another study
reports that obesity in childhood is a stronger
predictor of heart disease than family history.
Obesity is an insidious disease. Obesity is a disease of
affluence; it is a disease brought about by the amazing
success of our society. In the United States , 61
percent of adults are overweight. Obesity-related
illnesses cause an estimated 300,000 preventable deaths
in the United States annually. Moreover, obesity imposes
isolation far beyond the physical pain and emotional
strain it causes.
Approximately 90 percent of type II (adult onset)
diabetics are obese. Obesity is a major risk factor for
hypertension. Overweight individuals experience an
inordinate amount of negative stress in their lives.
Stress is also an additional risk for hypertension.
Obesity is a major cause of disability, including joint
pain, back pain, degenerative disc disorders, which then
further hinders an individual effort to manage his or
her weight. Excess weight is a strong risk factor for
several cancers, including breast cancer, esophageal
cancer, gallbladder cancer, colon cancer, prostate
cancer, and uterine cancer.
Diets do not work! National Institute of Health (NIH)
research over the last thirty years shows that an
individual who is more than 100 pounds above their ideal
body weight would have a less than 1 percent chance of
losing and maintaining the weight loss long-term.
Weight-loss (Bariatric) surgery is a tool that in a
comprehensive weight management plan allows the patient
to have long-term success in losing weight and
maintaining that weight loss.
Weight loss surgery is the only know cure for adult –
onset type II diabetes; it can “cure” hypertension in
about 80 percent of individuals and significantly
improve the rest.
Weight loss surgery is not for everyone. It works best
for those who have seriously committed to the long-term
lifestyle change necessary to make the surgery
successful. Regular life-long follow-up is necessary to
achieve the best results and minimize complications.
Obesity is not a disease that is conquered in a day, a
month, or a year. It is not a disease that is “fixed”
with surgery. It is a disease that must be fought
everyday for the rest of your life. Obesity is a disease
that must be fought with the choices we make every
single day. It must be fought for our future and the
future of our children. |
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