We all know that losing weight is tough, but it appears the hardest thing is to recognize you are overweight – or, in many cases, obese – in the first place.
A recent YouGov poll of 2,000 people in the UK found that around a quarter were obese. However, only 7% of those asked believed that to be the case.
The easiest way for you to check is by looking at your body mass index via a BMI indicator.
Whatever weight-loss route you take, a sensible diet and regular exercise has to form the basis of your healthy lifestyle plan. When this alone doesn’t work, weight-loss surgery or obesity surgery could be an option for you.
Weight loss surgery
First of all, let’s clarify one thing – liposuction and tummy tucks are both cosmetic surgery procedures not weight-loss programmes!
Both are focused on tightening and toning your body, rather than losing weight.
Procedures to tackle obesity include the gastric band or the gastric balloon, both of which can help you manage your eating habits in the short term to improve your long-term lifestyle and health.
For example, a gastric band – which starts at a price of £5,450 – uses a silicone ring to restrict the size of your stomach, meaning you need to eat less food before feeling full.
A gastric balloon, which is even more affordable at £3,950, consists of a silicone sack inserted into the stomach and then filled with saline solution. The result is that you feel full, eat less and therefore develop better eating habits.
When the sack is removed, after six months, your body is trained and you can continue the weight-loss programme unaided.
A spokesman for cosmetic and obesity surgery experts Why Go Abroad said: “I think people are slowly getting the message that we need to tackle obesity levels.
“Over the past few years we have seen a significant rise in enquiries about weight-loss surgery and the gastric band remains the most popular choice in the UK.”
