About Bariatric Endoscopy Tampa Bay

Background

Being overweight is a common problem in the United States and is associated with a variety of health problems including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, elevation of cholesterol and triglycerides, stroke, fatty liver, kidney disease, arthritis, sleep apnea, acid reflux, problems in pregnancy, blood clots, gallbladder disease, and endometrial, breast, prostate, and colon cancer.

Overweight is defined as a BMI (body mass index) of 25 – 29.9. Obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 and above. Extreme obesity is defined as a BMI of 40 or greater. About 1/3 of Americans are overweight, 1/3 are obese, and 4.5% have extreme obesity.

Diet and increased physical activity are the preferred methods of weight loss. Many people, however, find that despite their best efforts, they are unable to lose weight. For these motivated patients, the minimally invasive procedures we perform, in conjunction with diet and exercise, give them the ability to succeed in their goal of attaining a healthy weight.

There is evidence that even modest weight loss of 5 – 10% of body weight can have beneficial effects on diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides, and heart disease.