Despite all the positives – the weight loss, the reduced risk of illnesses such as diabetes and heart conditions, and the adjustable nature of the procedure – many people are still reluctant to tailor their eating habits to suit a Lapband.

It’s true that for up to a month after a gastric band or gastric balloon procedure, your eating habits will be different, consisting mainly of liquids and soft foods.

But after that your diet can return to ‘normal’ – and that doesn’t have to mean boring! Gastric Band Info has even collected these gastric band recipes to help you eat healthily and happily with a Lapband!

Gastric Band Info

The biggest change after gastric band surgery is in the amount of food you can eat. The procedure involves putting an adjustable loop around your stomach to restrict its size and therefore decrease your appetite, as you become ‘full’ quicker.

Gastric balloons similarly help to decrease food intake, but by inserting an inflatable balloon into the patient’s stomach to restrict its capacity that way.

Weight-loss surgery advice website Gastric Band Info has educational videos about both procedures for anyone considering the treatment to check out.

You can also visit the site to out any other queries you have to the experts, request a brochure or arrange a free, no-obligation consultation.

Obesity is expected to cost Scotland more than £3bn a year by 2030, by which time two in every five Scottish people would be classed as obese.

The change in policy is an admission that trying to prevent obesity by simply advising about diet and exercise is not enough, and that gastric band surgery has a key role to play in tackling the issue.

Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “Obesity currently costs Scotland over £457m a year. Surgery for obesity is rare and the Scottish government’s focus is on preventing people becoming obese in the first place.

“However this new service will ensure that for those who need it treatment is available.”

Gastric Band Info

Gastric Band Info is an advice website for those hoping to find out more about bariatric surgery, whether it’s Lapbands, gastric balloons or even gastric bypass procedures.

A spokesman said: “Gastric bands can be extremely effective and it’s great that the NHS is increasingly recognising that.

“However, the vast majority of these procedures are still carried out privately and the key advice we would give anyone is to find a responsible, GMC-certified surgeon who will speak to you openly and honestly.

“Indeed, the quality of pre-operation consultation and aftercare is almost as important as the procedure itself, so make sure you are totally comfortable with your provider.”

A range of information and other advice is available at Gastric Band Info.

A new University of Florida study has revealed that obesity is best tackled by fast weight loss at the outset. The research found that rapid approach proved more effective at maintaining weight loss over time than steady slimming.

Obesity surgery experts Gastric Band Info have welcomed the news, but warned: “It’s important that people don’t take this study as an excuse for crash or fad dieting. Over time, these diets nearly always lead to your weight yo-yoing up and down, which is not good for your body.

“Of course, a balanced diet and a sensible amount of exercise is always the best start to any weight-loss plans, but options like a gastric band or gastric balloon can be the best ways to achieve fast weight loss in a controlled way.

“The real advantage of these treatments is that they can be easily monitored and adjusted by qualified surgeon to ensure that healthy weight loss is established and maintained.”

Gastric band diet

Following a gastric band or gastric balloon procedure, your consultant will advise you on the best diet for you.

This will typically consist of liquids for the first fortnight – while you get used to the treatment – then soft food for a further two weeks, before following a ‘normal’, balanced diet after a month.

For more information or to arrange a no-obligation consultation, visit Gastric Band Info.

The findings were released as part of a health campaign by charities the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK and Diabetes UK. They show that people often leave it too late to consider weight-loss surgery, such as a gastric balloon or gastric band.

Diabetes UK Care Advisor Libby Dowling: “While you might be relaxing at home, your fat cells are working overtime to pump out excess hormones and other chemicals that can cause harm.

“Knowing your risk is an important first step towards shedding the extra fat anchoring our nation to future health issues.”

Gastric Band Info

Obesity Surgery experts at Gastric Band Info have advised thousands of patients on the best treatment for them, to help them lose weight and become more healthy.

Sensible eating – rather than dieting! – and exercise are always the first steps on the journey to weight loss, but many people find that this alone does not work. That’s when obesity surgery can transform people’s lives.

The three main options recommended by Gastric Band Info are:

• Gastric balloon – for patients with a body mass index of 25 to 30, who are looking to return to a normal weight
• Gastric band – for patients with a BMI over 30 who need to achieve significant weight loss
• Gastric bypass – for patients who are morbidly obese, with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 40.

Visit Gastric Band Info for more information on all of these procedures.

However, obesity surgery can the first step in a journey towards achieving the body of your dreams.

As anyone who has tried it knows, losing weight is a tough job and everyone’s body responds differently to dieting and exercise. But gastric bands are a sure-fire way towards not only weight-loss, but also feeling happier and healthier with your body.

A Gastric Band Info spokesman said: “Obesity surgery can give you the start that you need to maintain a healthier body for the rest of your life.

“Patients can lose hundreds of pounds with weight-loss surgery and this is a great time of year to have a procedure, as the sunshine and light evenings make an accompanying exercise programme all the more attractive.”

Not just gastric bands

Obesity surgery is not restricted to gastric bands by any means.

Gastric balloons are also a highly popular and effective method of losing weight. The added bonus of a gastric balloon for many is that no general anaesthetic is required.

Finally, a gastric bypass operation can also be performed in cases of severe or morbid obesity.

For more information on any of these procedures, visit Gastric Band Info.

The other main attraction of Lapbands is that they can be easily adjusted, which means they offer a personal and bespoke solution for each patient.

Adjustments help ensure total comfort and a perfect fit for patients and are a routine part of the procedure.

Advice site Gastric Band Info summed up: “Gastric bands are not only effective – some people lose more than 15 stone through the treatment – but adjustments are affordable and the aftercare offered by leading obesity surgery providers is also a vital benefit.”

Do all patients need gastric band adjustments?

Your surgeon should monitor you closely after weight-loss surgery and most patients can expect to have at least a couple of adjustments to their Lapband during the first year after the procedure.

This helps ensure your health and comfort, and will also allow you to manage the rate of your weight loss in a responsible way.

Adjusting a gastric band

A gastric band is an inflatable silicone loop, filled with saline solution, which goes around the top of the stomach to restrict its size. As a result, the patient eats less food before feeling full and therefore loses weight.

To adjust the band, more saline solution is pumped into the loop – or excess solution is removed – to tighten or loosen the band. The simple process is performed under local anaesthetic and can be done within an hour.

For more advice on weight-loss surgery, visit Gastric Band Info.

They are safe and effective and have proven to be lifesavers for many patients, however, as with any form of surgery, the procedures are not right for everyone.

This is why obesity surgery experts Gastric Band Info are helping clarify when to consider going under the knife, to avoid obesity-related illnesses such as heart disease, cancer or strokes.

Gastric bands operations are often a good solution for people with a body mass index (BMI) of between 35 and 45.

The procedure takes a shorter amount of time to complete than a gastric bypass, which means less risk for the patient, a shorter stay in hospital and a quicker recovery.

Lapbands are also reversible and totally adjustable to fit your individual requirements, which adds to their popularity.

However, gastric bypass patients’ long-term morbidity rates fall by around 40 per cent, making it one of the most important procedures on the market. Gastric bypasses are best for morbidly obese or super obese patients, with a BMI of around 45 or higher.

Of course, the best approach to losing excess bodyweight is non-surgical – to eat sensibly and increase exercise – which should always be your first weight loss option.

However, while millions of overweight people try diet, exercise and even medication, they do not always work and medical studies show that if you are obese, you are not likely to succeed in long-term weight loss through diet and behaviour changes alone.

That’s when a gastric band or bypass could be the choice for you.

This is totally natural. In fact, it is great. You should find out as much as possible before any medical procedure and weight-loss surgery is no different.

So expert advice site Gastric Band Info has put together this list of common Q and As to start you thinking about the procedure.

1) Will I suffer side effects?

As with any surgery, temporary side effects are likely, such as nausea as you recover from the anaesthetic, and bruising and pain around the affected area. However, once these have passed, gastric band surgery should leave you free to continue your usual activities.

2) Should my diet change once I have a gastric band?

This depends on your diet beforehand! A gastric band will restrict the size of the stomach, and therefore the quantity of food you can eat, and you lose weight as a result.

However, the most effective results come when a Lapband is used in conjunction with a balanced, healthy diet that is high in fibre and low in fat.

3) Is the operation reversible?

Absolutely! The Lapband can be removed, or adjusted, at any time. Your specialist should continue to monitor you for some months after the procedure to ensure that you are totally comfortable living with the band.

4) How much weight will I lose?

There is no guaranteed weight-loss, and it’s even hard to give an average amount, because everybody starts at a different weight and responds to the procedure in a different way.

However, patients regularly lose seven or eight stone and, in some cases, much more when the procedure is overseen by obesity surgery specialists.

In fact, in some cases, gastric bands have helped tackle conditions as varied as diabetes, heart conditions, insomnia, high blood pressure and, in rare cases, infertility.

In one remarkable case, a young woman, who shed 10 stone with a gastric band, was able to retain her eyesight as a result. Amazingly, the loss of weight alleviated pressure on her optic nerves, restoring the peripheral vision she had lost.

Gastric Band Info

However, it isn’t just Lapbands that can boost your health, according to weight-loss surgery experts at Gastric Band Info.

Gastric balloons are also an option for overweight or mildly obese people, while gastric bypass procedures are reserved for morbidly obese patients.

A simple way of checking what procedure could work for you is to work out your body mass index (BMI).

As a general guide, a result of between 19 and 25 on the BMI scale is normal, 25 to 30 is overweight, 30 to 35 is moderately obese and above 35 is severely obese. Anything above 40 would class as morbid obesity, which could have very serious health repercussions.

A spokesman for Gastric Band Info said: “The BMI scale is not perfect by any means, but it can offer a guide as to whether you are a healthy weight or not. All we would say is speak to us if you are considering weight-loss surgery and our experts will advise you on the best way forward.”

Many of Gastric Band Info’s Patient Care Coordinators can talk from personal experience about the procedures so why not ask for advice, or request a brochure, to see if they can help you.

Typically, gastric balloons are recommended for those with a body mass index of 25 to 30, while those with a BMI between 30 and 40 are generally better candidates for a gastric band.

However, gastric bypass operations are reserved for those with a BMI above 40, who are classed as morbidly obese.

But weight-loss is not the only benefit of a gastric bypass – the long-term mortality rate of patients can be reduced by up to 40%.

The latest research shows that eight in 10 UK men will be overweight or obese by 2020 and the consequences are a predicted growth in cancer, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Obesity surgery could play a key role in ensuring the long-term health of the British public.

How does a gastric bypass work?

A gastric bypass procedure separates the stomach into a small upper pouch and a larger, lower pouch. The small intestine is then rearranged to allow both pouches to stay connected to it.

The result is a smaller ‘functional volume’ of the stomach, a different response to food and, therefore, weight-loss.

In a gastric balloon procedure, a balloon is inserted into the stomach and inflated, again reducing the volume of food that can be consumed, while a gastric band loops round the stomach and can be tightened or loosened, to allow more or less food to be consumed.

Visit Gastric Band Info for more advice on any of the procedures.