Weight & Weight Loss Surgery (WLS)

What is Obesity?

Obesity is a medical condition characterised by an excessive accumulation of body fat that can negatively affect a person's health. It is a complex issue influenced by various factors, including genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors.

In Australia, obesity is a significant public health concern, as it is associated with a higher risk of various health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, certain types of cancer, and musculoskeletal issues. It can also affect a person's quality of life and overall well-being.

Impact of Obesity on Health

Obesity can profoundly impact various aspects of your health. Excessive body fat strains your organs, increasing the risk of developing serious medical conditions. Some common health consequences of obesity include:

• Cardiovascular disease:  Obesity is closely linked to an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. Excess body fat can contribute to plaque buildup in the arteries, compromising blood flow and leading to cardiovascular complications.
• Metabolic disease: Obesity is often associated with metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia. The body's ability to regulate blood sugar levels and lipid profiles becomes impaired, posing significant health risks.
• Joint Problems: The excessive weight carried by individuals with obesity puts stress on the joints, leading to conditions like osteoarthritis and chronic pain. Mobility can be significantly compromised, impacting your quality of life.
• Respiratory Issues: Obesity can contribute to developing sleep apnoea, asthma and obesity hypoventilation, making breathing difficult during sleep and daily activities.
• Cancer: Obesity increases the risk of many types of cancer and increases cancer-related death. 

How Common is Obesity?

Two-thirds of Australian adults are now overweight (35.6%) or obese (31.3%). Higher rates of men are overweight compared to women, while similar proportions of men and women are obese. 

Causes of Obesity

Obesity is a complex problem with many factors contributing to its development.

• Genetics
• Lack of physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle
• Poor food choices
• The environment
• Socioeconomic factors

Diagnosing Obesity

We use a simple clinical tool called the Body Mass Index (BMI) to diagnose obesity. Although this tool has some limitations, it is easy to use in the clinical setting and reasonably accurate for most people. Therefore, it is the currently accepted measurement. It is calculated by dividing your weight (in kilograms) by height (in metres squared). Any BMI over 30 kg/m2 is considered obese.

[See our BMI calculator to calculate your BMI today]

Treatment Options for Obesity

Losing weight is hard. Losing and keeping off a large amount of weight with diet and exercise alone is hard and rarely successful. This is because the causes of obesity are multiple, complex and difficult to change - it’s not just your eating habits and whether you go to the gym or not. Biological, psychological and environmental barriers exist to achieving and maintaining weight loss. Additionally, the more weight that needs to be lost, the more intensive the treatment required.

At Hunter WLS, we offer a range of solutions tailored to you. This includes advanced non-surgical solutions to the full range of surgical interventions. Whether it’s a specific nutrition and exercise plan, using medications to aid weight loss, endoscopic procedures or weight loss surgery, our team will work with you to determine how to help you best.

Why Consider Losing Weight?

Losing weight is often recommended for individuals who are overweight or obese due to the numerous health benefits associated with achieving a healthy body weight. While weight loss should always be approached in a balanced and sustainable manner, there are several compelling reasons why it is beneficial:

• Improved Overall Health
• Reduced Cardiovascular Risk
• Better Blood Sugar Control
• Joint Health and Mobility
• Enhanced Mental and Emotional Well-being
• Increased Energy and Vitality
• Improved Quality of Sleep
• Longevity and Disease Prevention

What Is Weight Loss Surgery?

Weight loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, is a medical procedure designed to help individuals who are struggling with obesity achieve significant and sustained weight loss. This type of surgery is considered when other weight loss methods, such as diet and exercise, have not been successful or when obesity-related health issues pose a significant risk to a person's health.

Weight loss surgery is a surgical intervention that aims to reduce the size of the stomach or alter the digestive process to limit food intake, decrease nutrient absorption, or both. The hormonal changes accompanying weight loss surgery are often the most powerful factors in helping us lose and keep weight off.

Today’s weight loss operations have been refined over many decades and are among the best-studied treatments in modern medicine. They are performed with small incisions using minimally invasive surgical techniques (laparoscopic surgery). These advancements allow patients a better overall experience with less pain, fewer complications, shorter hospital stays, and a faster recovery. These operations are extremely safe, with lower complication rates than common operations, such as gallbladder removal, hysterectomy, and hip replacement. 

Types of Weight Loss Surgery

The most common bariatric surgical procedures are :

• Gastric Sleeve
• Roux en Y Gastric Bypass
• Single Anastomosis Gastric Bypass
• SADI-S
• Revision Surgery

Each procedure has different features, benefits and risks. Not every surgical approach will suit every patient.

Your surgeon will discuss your options and help you find the treatment that best suits your condition, lifestyle, and desired outcomes.



It's also important to note that WLS is not a quick fix, and individuals must make lifelong changes to their diet and exercise habits to maintain their weight loss.

How Does WLS Work?

These operations modify the stomach and intestines to treat obesity and related diseases. The operations make the stomach smaller and may bypass a portion of the intestine. The mechanisms underlying the weight loss effects of WLS are complex, but research suggests that the mechanisms of weight loss after surgery differ from diet and lifestyle alone. 

Some important mechanisms by which WLS works include: 

• Volume reduction: Many bariatric procedures restrict the amount of food the stomach can hold. This restriction leads to a feeling of fullness and satiety with smaller food portions. It helps individuals consume fewer calories and promotes weight loss. Procedures such as sleeve gastrectomy and adjustable gastric banding primarily work through restriction.
• Malabsorption: Some bariatric surgeries alter the digestive tract, bypassing portions of the small bowel where nutrients and calories are absorbed.
• Hormonal changes: WLS can also affect the production and release of certain hormones, impacting appetite, metabolism, and blood sugar control. For instance, procedures like gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy have been found to alter the production of hormones involved in hunger and satiety, such as ghrelin and peptide YY. These hormonal changes can help reduce appetite and promote weight loss.
• Gut microbiota changes: WLS has been shown to impact the composition and activity of the gut microbiota. After surgery, alterations in this microbiota may contribute to weight loss and metabolic improvements.