Discovering YOU Magazine September 2022 Issue | Page 25

the FDA-approved Lap-Band® system features an adjustable gastric band placed around your upper stomach to help limit your food intake and promote your feeling of fullness.

On average, patients kept off 60% of their excess body weight after 5 years of having the Lap-Band. It's the least invasive and safest weight-loss surgery, and it is covered by most health insurance1.

For those with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 40 kg/m2 or a BMI of at least 30 kg/m2 with one or more obesity related comorbid conditions, like diabetes or hypertension, the Lap-Band can be a powerful tool to help you take control of your weight and improve your health. It can be tightened or loosened as your body or physical needs change over time, helping to provide sustainable weight loss over the long term. Regular adjustments by your surgeon help you continue losing weight. Think about it like having to tighten your belt as the weight comes off.

"With the Lap-Band, you can curb constant hunger, gain control over your weight, improve your health, and sustain your weight loss for the long term," says Vafa Shayani, M.D., of the Bariatric Institute of Great Chicago and one of the country's leading surgical experts on gastric banding. "It is important to consult with your physician and surgeon to create a personalized weight-loss plan and monitor your health status as you implement the solution."

Visit Lap-Band.com to find a Lap-Band surgeon near you.

well-being, and medications are just a few of the other factors that impact weight loss. For example, if you don't get enough sleep, you need more energy to function and may eat more food to gain that energy.

* Diets don't fit into normal, everyday life. There is no denying that eating plays a big role in our social lives. Most of us enjoy family picnics, restaurant meals, and snacks during sporting events. Trying to diet and maintain social connections is difficult when food is at the center of so many of our daily activities.

* Diets aren't satisfying and cause stress. No one enjoys dieting. In fact, numerous studies link dieting with feelings of depression, low self-esteem, and increased stress.

* Dieting to lose weight may not align with nutrition needs for health issues. A low-calorie diet may dangerously impact blood sugar levels for diabetics. Plus, important nutrients like calcium are often missing from diets, leaving dieters at risk for osteoporosis or fractures/broken bones.

If you're ready to get off the dieting roller coaster and achieve long-term weight loss, it may be time to get serious about a weight-loss procedure. Have you considered an adjustable gastric band system that can be your key to long-term weight loss? It involves a short, outpatient procedure and gives you power over your hunger and more control over your weight loss than other weight-loss surgery options.

Backed by 25 years of clinical evidence

HEALTH MATTERS