Is losing weight number one on your new year’s Resolution list?

If you were watching the fireworks this evening and thinking to yourself this is the year I will finally take the plunge and radically change my life, you were not alone! You probably need to act quickly before all those resolutions vanish into thin air. A quick round up of bariatric news from 2015 might give you inspiration.

Researchers from Cleveland Clinic told us that sleeve gastrectomy was becoming the most popular and frequent weight loss operation being performed in the US, overtaking gastric bypass which had been the most common procedure for decades.

Another published paper confirms that weight loss surgery reduces sugar cravings and this acts as a further weight loss mechanism which works in tandem with the restrictive and/or malabsorption effects of surgery. Further research shows that weight loss surgery is safe and effective in those 60 years and older, reassuring us all that this particular type of surgery has now got a safety profile similar or safer than gall stone surgery.

Last but not least, one should mention the rising trend of mini-gastric bypass operations, which combines elements of a sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass to produce a safer profile than a bypass on its own.Mini-bypass procedures have been found to be similar to sleeve and bypass procedures in terms of weight loss and remission of type 2 diabetes with few complications.

So leaving you with these thoughts for the New Year, it is always advisable to discuss all your options with an expert who will take account of your individual circumstances and give you a full appraisal of the risks and benefits before you commit.