Gastric surgery is fast becoming a method some of us use to shed weight that would otherwise prove problematic to our wellness. Slimming down can have many health benefits if we were previously obese, although medical experts are raising concerns we may be ignoring our bones in our efforts to lose weight.
Nutritional balance
A good diet is synonymous with a feeling of wellbeing, and proteins in our diet help to build lots of different cells, from hair, to skin and bone cells. Vitamin C and calcium work together so our bodies can absorb minerals and create dense bone tissue. A review by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research highlighted concerns that operations to restrict our diets could also have an impact on how we process minerals that are important for our wellness. Medical experts looking at the effects of gastric surgery reveal that more invasive procedures result in more bone mineral density (BMD) loss.
Surgery connection
The reason that health experts are raising awareness of the impact of gastric procedures on our bones is because our BMD naturally declines, and preserving it is very important. When we suffer too much bone cell loss we can be diagnosed with osteoporosis, meaning our bones are much thinner than average and can break more easily. Gastric bypasses appear to lead to lower BMD than having a gastric band fitted. As well as reducing the time our bodies have to get nutrients from our diet, these procedures are also believed to result in hormonal changes that increase bone loss. When these operations are performed on teenagers, then the future health of our bones could be at even greater risk as this is when a lot of our bone tissue is laid.
Diet or surgery
Clinicians involved with the review state they understand the value of gastric operations, as the procedures can tackle obesity-related conditions, like diabetes and heart disease. They explain that bone wellness should be considered as part of weight-loss surgery, so we undergo BMD tests to check how strong our bones are and get given advice on supplementing our diets with calcium and Vitamin D.