Fitness and Nutrition News

Gastric Bypass Good for More Than Weight Loss

By: Carly Zinderman | Thursday 23 June 2011 13:32 PDT

A study published in Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases shows that gastric bypass has more benefits than weight loss; it also significantly reduces inflammation associated with a number of diseases like cancer and diabetes. Other benefits include an increase in energy and physical activity levels.

Gary D. Miller, an associate professor at Wake Forest University, and chief investigator on the study, says there are increasing amounts of research suggesting that weight loss changes the way the body's systems work for people at high risk of heart disease and diabetes, which is encouraging for people with obesity.

In recent years, there has been an upsurge in the number of patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The majority of new cases were directly linked to obesity.

The new study is part of ongoing research that Wake Forest University is conducting on how gastric bypass surgery changes the body in order to fight diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. 

Previous research from the team has shown that gastric bypass, followed by diet and exercise, targets fat loss inside the abdominal cavity. Increased levels of visceral fat have been shown to increase the risk of cancer and other diseases.

Younger people who had gastric bypass increased their physical ability after surgery, seemingly debunking the idea that rapid weight loss leads to loss of muscle mass and physical function.

The recent study found that six months after gastric bypass weight loss surgery, patients had decreased amounts of proteins that have been found to cause diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

Miller says he hopes the new research shows that weight loss is more than just about physical appearance. It is also beneficial in helping the body restructure and better fight diseases such as cancer and diabetes.

A study by Duke University Medical Center and St. Luke's and Roosevelt Hospital Center at Columbia University found that diabetes patients who had gastric bypass showed greater improvement in their metabolic levels than patients whose weight loss was only from dieting.