Two months ago, I told you about the surging number of gastric-bypass surgeries, particularly among baby boomers. Looking for fast relief from a lifetime of obesity, seniors appear to be taking the easy way out with the help of conventional medicine all too eager to oblige.
Although only 2 percent of the gastric-bypass surgeries in this country are being performed on seniors, experts expect that number to rise as Americans live longer. (A study published late last year determined obesity rates for seniors are projected to rise to 37 percent in just five years.)
Even worse, the American Society for Bariatric Surgery has petitioned Medicare to create uniform coverage guidelines and include other types of pointless operations, in my mind just another sign of a health care system gone mad in this great country of ours.
Fact is, gastric-bypass surgery is an extreme and dangerous and totally needless "cure" for a lifetime of bad health choices. A good example of what I'm talking about: The former half-ton man I told you about earlier this year lost more than 40 percent of body weight by eating a diet that included limiting grains and sugars and following a controlled exercise program.
Yahoo News September 20, 2005