By Alexander Germanis
The ancient Chinese philosopher Lao-zu is known for saying, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” For a lot of people trying to lose weight, it might very well feel like a thousand-mile journey. And that first step may not even seem worth taking when the reading on the scale stays the same at the start of each New Year, or, worse still, goes up. So, many of these people feel like they are failing themselves and their loved ones.
But the staff at Illinois Bariatric Center (IBC) have a message: You are not a failure. “You don’t have to fight this battle on your own,” says IBC’s head of marketing, Beth Reeser. “There are solutions out there to help.”
Two such solutions are the LAP-BAND® surgery, or the ORBERA™ Gastric Balloon procedure. “Both procedures are FDA approved for a BMI (body mass index) of 30, especially if there is a serious health condition,” she adds.
Serious health conditions, both potential and pre-existing, are why making the public aware of these procedures is so vital. “Bariatric surgery is becoming more widely accepted, and we are becoming more effective at providing this as a treatment option,” says IBC
There is more good news for that population: the first single step of weight loss can now be taken quicker and easier than ever before. Due to the American Medical Association reclassifying obesity as a disease, many insurance plans that did not cover bariatric procedures like the LAP-BAND® surgery now do. Furthermore, “The majority of plans no longer require a diet,” Beth adds. “And the average time span from initial consultation with IBC’s Dr. Sidney Rohrscheib to their actual day of surgery is three months. That is just an average; many come through even quicker!”
Naturally, the quicker the journey is undertaken, the quicker it is over. More importantly, the faster the threat of serious health conditions begin to recede in one’s rearview mirror, the faster there is the prospect of a new life up ahead.
After helping so many on their journeys, the staff at IBC have witnessed patients experience wonderful transformations. “Their quality of life increases,” Beth shares. “They are motivated to do more. Their self-esteem increases, and they now enjoy shopping for clothes. They are grateful to be alive, and feel a new sense of freedom, as they once felt so trapped and confined in a body they thought they no longer had control over.”
Regaining control over one’s body is exactly why people decide on bariatric surgery. According to Dr. Rohrscheib, “A patient considers [these procedures] at such time as they have decided for themselves that diet and exercise no longer provide them satisfactory control of their weight. In short, when they are frustrated with what they feel is something they can no longer control. It can give them a jumpstart.”
Whether it is a desire to be able to keep up with the grandkids, to be healthy enough to see them grow up, or simply to look good and feel good about oneself, it is important to take that first step on the journey sooner rather than later. “Weight loss procedures, particularly LAP-BAND® and the new ORBERA™, are effective,” says Laurie. “And they should be considered much sooner in the treatment process for BMI-appropriate patients.”
Another year need not pass with no change on the scale. The first step on the journey can begin now. “Where do you want to be in a year?” Beth asks.
For information on the ORBERA™ Managed Weight Loss Program or LAP-BAND® surgery, you may contact Dr. Sidney Rohrscheib at the Illinois Bariatric Center at 217-935-7037. Illinois Bariatric Center is one of the few practices in Central Illinois that is qualified to offer the ORBERA™ non-surgical procedure. The practice provides a unique multidisciplinary program dedicated to the management and treatment of obesity.