Weight Loss Surgery Post-Op Eating

One of the most effective treatments for obesity is weight loss surgery, although there is a certain stigma attached to those who undergo its procedures. A lot of the time, many people find that it can impact greatly on their lives and really make a difference in the way they see themselves. As well as being an effective treatment of the problem of weight gain itself, it can also help to decrease the various other health issues that can come about because of it. Heart attacks, diabetes, and other issues can all be reduced. It was also discovered that one particular surgery –the gastric bypass- was one of the most effective ones.

The Gastric Bypass and the Gastric Band

With gastric bypasses, the digestive system literally bypasses the stomach. This means that undigested foods go straight into the intestines. With the gastric band, however, the stomach is physically restricted. This means that a person who eats a certain amount is going to feel physically full, even if they have not eaten what would normally be considered “enough.”

Studies on those who have undergone these weight loss procedures show that once the procedure was done, individuals tended to shy away from foods that were high in fat and sugar content.

Effects on the Brain

There is research to suggest that weight loss surgery actually has a considerable effect on the way that the human brain works. Many now believe that the brain patterns and function actually change in order to accommodate a new way of living and eating. MRI scanning techniques were used to examine the brain activities of patients. A control group of individuals who were not operated on was used as was a group of individuals who had undergone the surgery. Everyone was around the same weight level.

They found significant differences in the way that each person’s brain responded to food. Gastric bypass patients were found to have a lot less activity when it came to the reward regions of the brain. Food simply did not give them the level of pleasure that it normally would have in the past. To patients who had undergone the procedure, high-calorie foods just did not have the same appeal as they used to.

At present, there is no conclusive evidence as to what might cause these changes. However, differences in metabolism are thought to play a major role in these changes.