Weight loss surgery often achieves a result that dieting alone could not- which is a drastic reduction in total body weight.
But as the procedure has increased in popularity in the past few years, doctors have been able to gain insight into what actually causes more efficient weight loss. And while the surgery is effective, hormones seem to be the name of the game when it comes to losing weight. And, doctors say, getting weight off once it’s on is difficult, even with weight loss surgery:
“People who are trying to lose weight are being fought tooth and nail by the body to keep that weight on,” said Dr. Miguel Burch, associate director of general surgery and minimally invasive surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
But after gastric bypass surgery, ghrelin levels go down significantly, Burch said.
“They’re losing more weight than they ever had before and not only are not hungry, they have to force themselves to eat,” Burch said. This may be why surgery patients can keep their weight off, he said.
Burch said that while ghrelin is one hormone believed to be responsible for weight loss, it is the “tip of the iceberg,” because we don’t likely know all the hormones that contribute to finally shedding excess poundage yet. Doctors say if we can pinpoint that, weight loss surgery results could be replicated with drugs.
