Lap Band Information

Lap Band surgery may seem like an expensive and time-consuming proposition, but have you thought about how much weight loss programs can cost?

According to weight loss industry analysts, it is estimated that Americans spend anywhere from $35 billion to $42 billion each year on weight loss foods, products, and services. In the long run, those costs can add up quickly.

A study a decade ago reported that treating individuals with obesity issues amounted to approximately $79 billion in healthcare costs. If you translate that to the 2009 economy, that amount would be more than $100 billion.

Individuals trying to avoid or put off Lap Band Surgery will also have other costs to deal with. Out of pocket expenses related to fighting obesity include: co-pays involving doctor visits; over the counter medications; prescription medications; laboratory tests; and specialists.

Individuals fighting weight problems may also incur large expenses by joining a weight loss program such as those at Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers or others.

When you look at the numbers of overweight people in the United States, the numbers are staggering. Recent statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention show that some 65 percent of all U.S. citizens are overweight. Taking that a step further CDCP estimates that 30 percent, totaling more than 60 million Americans, are obese. The most frightening stat may come from the U.S. Surgeon General's Office, which estimates that more than 12.5 million children age 2 to 19 falls into the overweight category.

While Lap Band surgery is not the answer for everyone, it has proven to be a cost-effective measure when looking at how much one could spend over decades of trying to lose weight.

Until advancements were made in the battle against weight loss, the normal course of action was to attack the problem through regular dieting and exercise. Over time, however, Lap Band surgery became a viable and affordable alternative for many people. That course of action continues today.

For those who have not yet decided to move forward with Lap Band surgery, the alternatives have included weight loss programs that can be clinical or non-clinical.

Clinical weight-loss programs are those offered through venues like a hospital or clinic. In this scenario, health care professionals like dietitians, doctors, nurses and psychologists will offer care along with treatment ideas.

Clinical programs may include services like nutrition education, physical activity, and behavior change therapy. Individuals with a body mass index (BMI) 30 or higher may be given the opportunity to try prescription weight loss drugs that are used as part of an overall program to change eating and physical habits.

The non-clinical approach can be options like weight loss chains that are commercially operated. In this venue, the individual will be guided by a program using a counselor, guide book, Web site or weight loss product. Materials written are authored or reviewed by licensed health professionals.

Some non-clinical weight loss programs may ask you to purchase packaged meals, which will add to your costs of trying to lose weight. Eating the prepackaged meals also prevents the individual from learning the healthy food selection and cooking skills that can be extremely valuable during one's lifetime.

While one of the requirements for Lap Band surgery is having fully tried traditional weight loss measures, individuals may likely discover that in the long run, the surgery may be a cost-effective procedure over a lifetime of traditional dieting.