The Causes of Obesity May Be Controversial and Mysterious, but We Already Have at Least One Real Solution, suggests Dr. Feiz and Associates

Bariatric surgery is a proven treatment for obesity and may also help point the way to obesity's root causes

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Feb 08, 2013, 04:12 ET

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- While such cutting edge procedures as the gastric sleeve have been quietly emerging as a godsend to countless severely overweight people, there's been an increasing amount of discussion lately about possible contributing factors and/or root causes of America's nationwide obesity epidemic. Dr. Feiz and Associates would like to take the opportunity to point out that while America's weight issue might be partially enabled by such environmental factors as the wide availability of inexpensive calories and the sedentary nature of much modern work and leisure, this information doesn't necessarily lead anywhere. Gastric sleeve surgery and other types of bariatric procedures are, however, pointing towards some very exciting insights.

Such matters as the controversy sparked by regulation of the size of sugar-laden soft drinks in New York City, and the Coca-Cola Company's recent public relations efforts have focused on the role of the availability of excessive calories. However, world renowned bariatric surgeon Dr. Michael Feiz wonders if it might be more fruitful to investigate just why the lap band and other procedures are necessary, and why so many of us find ourselves so powerfully drawn to fattening products in the first place.

One fascinating avenue that is being pointed to of late is the role of the hormone ghrelin. Ghrelin is primarily produced in a section of the stomach known as the fundus. While the effectiveness of bariatric surgeries has largely been ascribed to the way these surgeries shrink the capacity of the stomach to hold food, the fact that the fundus is removed as part of the gastric sleeve and other bariatric surgeries is a point of great interest. Ghrelin appears to be responsible for the feelings everyone with weight issues knows only too well; these are the impossible to ignore urges to eat more we often experience even when we know very well that we have already eaten plenty of food. The fact that it appears that the amount of ghrelin actually increases when we successfully lose weight may do a lot to explain the intractable nature of obesity. Simply removing the part of the body where the lion's share of ghrelin is manufactured appears to be an enormous boon to patients in helping them change their dietary habits.

Led by one of the world's most respected bariatric surgeons, Michael Feiz, M.D., F.A.C.S., and boasting a zero mortality rate, Dr. Feiz and Associates is the first place people with serious and intractable weight issues should visit if they are ready to consider a surgical approach to their serious weight issues. For more information or to find out whether you or someone very close to you may be a candidate for bariatric surgery with Dr. Feiz, please visit www.drfeiz.com or call 800-868-5946.

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SOURCE Dr. Feiz & Associates