Lapband in America

susannah · January 28, 2007

Hi All, I just have been wondering with a poulation of approx 300 million people in the US, and a huge obesity problem, are many people getting banded? It just seems that this forum should have a lot more members than it does.

Are there areas in the US where there is more obesity than other areas, or is it widespread? Australia is also starting to experience an obesity crisis.

Very interested to hear your thoughts.

Susannah

airwayman · January 28, 2007

Are there areas in the US where there is more obesity than other areas, or is it widespread?

Ha! Susanah, what a great choice of a word....'widespread.' That one word pretty much covers all of the 48 contiguous states. I haven't been to Alaska or Hawaii for a few years so I can't include them. Been to all the others and, yes, it's 'widespread' in all of them.

P.S. What's a new platform 10cc band??

babygrl1234 · January 28, 2007

Right now in the US the hastric bypass is the wieght loss surgery of choice. I am not sure of the ratio but more people do opt for the bypass instead of the band. Many are just now learning of the band. When I went to my first seminar last May I went in to learn about the bypass. I never even knew about anything call a lapband. Boy was I educated. I left the seminar wanting a band so badly. I think right now because the band is still relativly new over here most people are not sure abuot wanting to use it. They may be scared they are going to eat around it or might just want the immediate results that the bypass will give them. It seems that many (not all) people in the states are very "now" oriented. They want everything today and to heck with the furture. SO they choose a surgery that may be more risky and may not last in the long run to get the immediate results. Again this is just my opinion on why the bypass is more popular, I am not saying that if you had a bypass this is the reason.

desertdreamers · January 28, 2007

Hey, Susannah -

According to various reports, there are some areas in the US where obesity is more of a problems, but it really is everywhere. I ended up having to pay for the surgery myself because my insurance company doesn't pay for the lap-band, just for the bypass surgery. I really didn't want to get the major surgery and my innards rerouted!

kyethra · January 28, 2007

I think gastric bypass is still very popular here. I am actually a little surprised that it is still so popular now that the band is becomming more available. I didn't really consider the gastric bypass for a few different reasons (but my primary care doc did suggest I look at it because she said she thought people seemed to lose more weight with it-- though I have read a couple of different studies that say that after a few years there doesn't seem to be a difference between the groups in terms of who weighs less. Lap banders just lose it more slowly. I like slow- seems healthier to me).

Part of it is certainly cost- unless medicaid/medicare or your insurance pays for you, then you have to self pay.

I think another thing is lack of awareness. I first hear of it about a year ago when I saw a breaf headline on an online newsite, and being morbidly obese I am curious about those things, so I googled it. I just recently saw a television ad for it though- first time I've really seen it advertised widestream like that.

Another thing to consider is age. Many of our obese citizens are getting younger and younger. Children are getting bigger and they are getting bigger at younger ages. Those kids grow up to be obese adults.

And, of course, there has to be the very strong desire and incetive and motivation to make the change. You have to have tried all sorts of things- reducing carbs, trying to avoid certain colors of foods maybe, counting points (I think I gained frustration pounds on that one), promising yourself to be serious this time, going around and throwing away the bad things in the cupboards, and so many other little ups and downs and failures.

A lot of people also feel uncomfortable about surgery and devices of any sort in them.

Those are my thoughts on the subject anyway.

susannah · January 29, 2007

Hi All, thanks for the insights here. In Australia the band is the surgery of choice. Banding has been being performed here since the early nineties, so it has been around a lot longer I guess. Australia has pretty strict regulations on medical advertising and while advertising the band in newspapers is allowed, it is not allowed on tv commercials etc. The media is allowed to cover it in news stories though.

Susannah

Kat817 · January 29, 2007

I also belive the numbers on here, are not a real good representation of how many are actually banded. In my small rural area, I know personally of 7 people who have been banded within the last 2 years---and these are just personal aquaintences. And of them all---I am the only one active on the boards. I have given each of them the link, and invited them, but they are not interested, or in one case, she is not "a computer person" she says.

So you have to look at these numbers only representing the people who are banded who are also interested in forums such as these.

Kat

airwayman · January 29, 2007

Hey, Susannah -
I ended up having to pay for the surgery myself because my insurance company doesn't pay for the lap-band, just for the bypass surgery.

Hope I'm not being too nosy but who is your insurance company? Where did you have your Lap Band surgery done? What did it cost? JB