It’s that time of year when everybody comes up with a New Year’s resolution that they’re bound and determined to keep.  This time they tell their friends, it is certain that I’ll be successful, in losing weight and exercising. Despite the fact that it is the same New Year’s resolution that gets made by most Americans almost every year the vast majority who start off with good intentions are unsuccessful in fulfilling their mission to accomplish these goals.

The fact is that it is very difficult to lose unwanted weight as we get older.  In general, most adults have busy lives, and it doesn’t help that our metabolism slows as we age. Combine that with the fact that added weight generally leads to associated medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.  In addition, obesity is related to an increased risk of developing cancer and other poor outcomes, despite our modern treatments.  It is no surprise that OBESITY in the United States is truly the modern epidemic of the 21st century.

As of today, almost 45% of American adults have class one obesity. This is defined as being at least 50 pounds overweight or having a BMI of 30 or more. The burden of obesity in American society is remarkable as almost every aspect of our lives from work to play to sleep is affected.

The good news is that there is a new less invasive option to treat obesity than having an invasive surgical operation.  In August 2022 the FDA approved Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG). This is an incision-less procedure in which an endoscopic surgery device is introduced through the mouth into the stomach.  A series of endoscopic placating sutures are placed within the stomach which act to decrease the volume of the stomach by 70 to 80%. The end result is a stomach that now does not hold much food and is slow to empty, causing a prolonged, feeling of fullness.

Most individuals who have this procedure will be back to their normal lives in a few days with little or no side effects. In an environment where most individuals are fearful of having surgery, this provides an ideal alternative to treating obesity.

Bariatric Surgeon, Dr. Patrick Chiasson, specializes in minimally invasive Weight Loss Surgery (Endoscopic and Laparoscopic). His procedures include Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG), Heartburn, and Hiatal Hernia / LINX procedures.