Yes, you read it correctly. A West Virginia woman has undergone brain surgery as a last chance effort to lose weight. She is the second woman in the country to have this procedure. The 5’2″ woman weighed 230 pounds before the surgery but has been as high as 490 pounds. She had tried a variety of diets and stomach stapling prior to the brain surgery. Will this work? We won’t know for a few more months.
How It Works
The surgery is part of a clinical trial approved by the FDA being conducted at West Virginia University Hospital. The technique is called “deep brain stimulation” and is being tested on obese patients. The procedure involves neurosurgeons drilling into the brain and inserting wires into the region where the stomach is controlled. The wires are connected to devices implanted in the chest. Electricity is used to stimulate the brain to control feelings of hunger and satisfaction. The “juice” will be increased slowly over the next few months causing her to feel satiated. Doctors expect it to take several months to get the voltage to the optimal level for weight loss to become apparent. They hope that with the feeling of being full, she will not eat more than she needs.
The Obesity Epidemic
There is an obesity epidemic happening in America. The 2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is used to estimate obesity in the United States. The last survey found that 25.6% of Americans are obese (26.4% of men and 24.8% of women). The older the respondent was the greater likelihood they were obese. In the 18-29-year-old range 19.1% were obese; in the 50-59-year-old range just over 30% were obese. Obesity incidence was highest for non-Hispanic black women (39.0%) followed by non-Hispanic black men (32.1%). By area of the country it was highest in the South (27.3%) and Midwest (26.5%) and lower in the Northeast (24.4%) and West (23.1%).
While obesity itself is not considered a “disease” it is strongly associated with increased risk for cancer, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, liver and gallbladder disease, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, osteoarthritis, and sexual dysfunction.
There Has to Be an Easier Way
In addition to the 25% of Americans who are obese, there are another 50% who are classified as overweight. Weight loss is a big industry. It is an ongoing struggle for people to lose weight. They will try program after program, one fad diet or miracle cure after another. Yet the answer is simple. It is not about a “diet”, it is about a way of life, a way of being.
That’s why I developed the Fat Flush Plan. It is a program designed to detoxify the liver, accelerate weight loss, while at the same time teaching healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime. It is simple, safe, and highly effective. So, before you have someone drill a hole in your head I encourage you to do the Fat Flush Plan.
With the Fat Flush Plan, you are not on your own. There is a complete set of books, cookbooks, and a free online forum to get up-to-the-minute advice and support. And when you are ready to order all the supplies are available from UniKey Health.
Sources:
“West Virginia Woman Is Second Person in U.S. to Undergo Brain Surgery to Lose Weight” from Reuters.
Obesity statistics from: The Obesity Society web site.
Gittleman, Ann Louise. The Fat Flush Plan. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002.
Visionary, health guru, diet/detox expert, and natural foods icon Ann Louise Gittleman is the award-winning author of 30 books on health and healing including the New York Times bestsellers The Fat Flush Plan and Before The Change. Her most recent release is The Gut Flush Plan.
For the past two decades she has been considered one of the foremost nutritionist in the United States.
A regular contributor to national television and radio, visit her at www.annlouise.com. You can also follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
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