Obesity Warning!
Dr Roy Brancatisano believes more than four thousand Australian lives can be saved over the next decade through surgical solutions by the very obese to lose weight, improve their health and avoid premature death.
He’s one of a group of surgeons from the Australian Institute of Weight Control, who say that surgical procedures like gastric band operations save many people from an early death.
Speaking to The Pulse between procedures at The Hills Private Hospital in Sydney’s west, Dr Brancatisano said obesity is costing the Australian community $21 billion a year.
He said obesity is a complex problem with no simple answers but in the majority of cases, laparoscopic gastric banding does help.
“The evidence in numerous studies now show that gastric banding, in conjunction with a team approach of support and after care leads to substantial weight loss and patients can expect to lose up to 60 per cent of their excess weight over a period of 18 months to 2 years.
“With that weight loss they achieve substantial health benefits including a significant reduction in Type Two diabetes, we’re seeing patients come off their high blood pressure medications, in fact most of the obesity related chronic diseases are significantly improved with gastric banding surgery” he said.
Dr Brancatisano said while the gastric banding is now rebateable through health funds, the Federal Government should do more by subsidising the operation.
“This is a major public health issue with a financial impact on the Federal Government of around $3.4billion in recurring costs from obesity related chronic disease.
That includes diabetes, the fastest growing disease in Australia with 100,000 new cases diagnosed each year which costs the Federal Government $10,000 per diabetic patient for the rest of that patients life.
“Compare that to figures from a recent study which revealed that gastric banding cures about 73% of patients of diabetes within twelve months of the procedure.
“So if the Federal Government was to subsidise gastric banding surgery, they would save $10,000 per patient per annum and of course save many, many lives,” Dr Brancatisano said.
And the sobering facts are that latest figures reveal that 3.24 million Australians are obese including 280,000 younger Australians.
It’s estimated that by 2025, as many as 7.2 million Australians could be obese.
To find a Healthscope hospital that offers gastric banding surgery, click here.