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Gastric Bypass Affects How Patients Think about Food, Study Shows
Gastric Bypass Affects How Patients Think about Food, Study Shows
The weight loss experienced after gastric bypass surgery may be due in part to changes in the brain that lead patients to make more beneficial eating choices.
Marina Del Rey,
CA,
United States of America
(sardnews.org)
04/10/2013
Patients who undergo gastric bypass surgery for obesity may experience positive changes in the way that their brain responds to food, influencing their hunger levels and drive to eat for pleasure, according to a new study released by the Medical Research Council (MRC).
Gastric bypass surgery is a safe, effective and increasingly popular procedure that has been performed for years by Dr. Jeremy Korman, M.D., the medical director of LA Bariatrics in Los Angeles, a leading provider of surgical weight loss solutions. The surgery is so successful due its two-fold approach: restriction and malabsorption.
Restriction is achieved by stapling and dividing a ping pong ball-sized pouch from the remainder of the stomach. This small pouch easily fills to capacity with just a small quantity of food, which causes patients to feel full after eating substantially less than before. The other source of weight loss caused by gastric bypass surgery is malabsorption, which is achieved by bypassing a relatively short length of the small intestine and therefore reducing calorie absorption.
However, a new study recently published in the journal Gut suggests that there may be a third reason for gastric bypass surgery's success - changes in the brain. Scientists used a scanning technique called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood oxygen levels, to study 41 men and women who had lost weight from either a gastric bypass or gastric band surgery, as well as a control group of 20 people who did not have either surgery.
The researchers found distinct differences in the brain's response to food in patients after gastric bypass surgery, compared to gastric band surgery. Those who underwent gastric bypass had significantly less activity in the brain's reward regions when shown pictures of food. This weakened reward response may contribute to making gastric bypass surgery patients view high-fat and sweet foods as less appealing - a mental change that would contribute to and help maintain their long-term weight loss.
Those interested in learning more about gastric bypass surgery and other weight-loss procedures are encouraged to contact the L.A. Bariatric Center at www.labariatriccenter.com.
About Dr. Korman
Dr. Jeremy Korman is a board certified general surgeon who specializes in today's top bariatric procedures, including laparoscopic gastric bypass, adjustable gastric banding, sleeve gastrectomy and gastric imbrications.
Dr. Korman earned his medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and completed his general surgery residency at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center. Fellowship trained in laparoscopic general surgery at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, he also completed an additional fellowship in bariatric surgery.
Dr. Korman is a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, American College of Surgeons, and Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons. He practices at the L.A. Bariatric Center in Marina Del Rey, California and can be reached at 800-491-1977 or www.labariatriccenter.com.
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About La Bariatric Centre
Dr. Korman is a leading weight loss surgeon who has performed over 1000 weight loss procedures, including gastric bypass, gastric banding, sleeve gastrectomy, ROSE procedure, and band over bypass. He leads a dedicated and enthusiastic team using his multi-disciplinary team approach.
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