The Surprising Reason Why People Eat Less After Bariatric Surgery
When people talk about bariatric surgery, what comes to mind? Usually procedures that decrease the size of the stomach and help patients lose dramatic amounts of weight. What if we told you, it’s not entirely the size of the stomach that causes this change?
Let’s take a moment to talk about the satiety hormone.
So what is a satiety hormone?
When you feel full – or satiated – depends on the release of a certain hormone, called Leptin, within your body. All bodies produce enteroendocrine cells which actually makes the amount of satiety hormone.
Our bodies continually check our hormone levels to see if we should be eating. If the levels are too low, we receive a signal telling us it’s time for a meal. Once we’ve eaten, the body produces more satiety hormones which, in turn, tell us to stop.
What does obesity do to people?
People who suffer from obesity are often stigmatized that they keep eating because they never feel full. As a matter of fact, people who live with this condition tend to feel full less frequently and it turns out there’s a scientific reason for this.
A study published in Scientific Reports explained why.
Researchers from St. Claraspital Basel in Switzerland and University of Liverpool, UK focused on hormonal levels in obese patients. They noticed that those patients had fewer enteroendocrine cells than the control group.
The condition made it so they couldn’t feel full.
How does bariatric surgery come into play?
Bariatric surgery increases the production of the Leptin!
The Scientific Reports study also analyzed the hormonal levels of patients who underwent the laparoscopic gastric sleeve. Researchers noticed that their levels matched those of the control group.
This is why bariatric surgery has such a good success rate. Eating reduced portions is easier for patients because their bodies are capable of feeling fuller again. It sets them up to achieve their weight-loss goals!
Come to the New York Bariatric Group.
NYBG is the #1 bariatric practice in the northeast and one of the most prominent bariatric practices in the entire country! The best part? We’re here to help YOU succeed! We offer great weight-loss procedures including
- Roux-en-Y gastric bypass
- Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy
- Gastric band
- Gastric balloon
- Revisional bariatric surgery
Send us a message with any questions and we’ll be more than glad to set you up along the road to success!
