SPRINGFIELD, NJ (11/6/13) – A recent study that found weight loss surgery patients maintain their weight loss years after surgery is further evidence of how effective weight loss surgery can be in helping people keep their weight off for the long term, according to a leading New Jersey surgeon who specializes in bariatric procedures, including Gastric Bypass, Gastric Sleeve and LAP-BAND.

“The study confirms what I have seen in my practice over the past 10 years,” says Dr. Ajay Goyal, medical director of New Jersey Bariatric Center^® and director of bariatric surgery at Overlook Medical Center in Summit. “While most weight loss occurs in the first year, patients are able to sustain that weight loss for years after their surgery.”

“This is important in ending the cycle of rollercoaster dieting where people lose pounds for a few months, only to regain more after they are not able to sustain a fad diet,” he continued. “Weight loss surgery provides people who are obese with a powerful tool to control their hunger while learning lifestyle modifications that enable them to keep weight off for a sustained period.”

The study, known as the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (LABS), was funded by the National Institutes of Health and published online Nov. 4 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). It found that adults who had gastric bypass surgery and LAP-BAND surgery had significant weight loss three years after bariatric surgery. The study did not look at the gastric sleeve procedure.

There are about 24 million Americans who have morbid obesity, which is determined by a person’s Body Mass Index, or BMI. A BMI of 40 or higher puts a person into the morbidly obese category. Individuals with a BMI above 40 are at a higher risk of developing serious illness like Type 2 Diabetes, sleep apnea and cancer.

Weight loss surgery alters the digestive tract to aid severely obese patients in losing weight. It is considered the most effective means of controlling weight and resolving co-morbid conditions in the obese patient, according to the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons. Weight loss surgery has also been shown to improve or resolve other conditions related to obesity, such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and infertility.

About New Jersey Bariatric Center^®
New Jersey Bariatric Center^®, a medical & surgical weight loss center with offices in Springfield, Somerset and Hoboken, New Jersey, helps patients achieve long-term weight loss success through the most advanced bariatric surgery procedures, including gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, LAP-BAND  and REALIZE Band procedures. Free monthly patient education seminars are held five times a month in Woodbridge, Summit, Springfield, Bridgewater and Secaucus, NJ, for individuals interested in learning more about weight loss surgery. To view dates or register for a seminar, visit our Free Seminar page or call 908-481-1270.