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Home » Long Term Weight Loss » Weight loss surgery: is it for you? | WCSH6.com – WCSH-TV

NOW: Is weight-loss surgery for you?

WCSH 6:21 PM. EDT March 30, 2017

(NEWS CENTER) -- We do watch and listen when you post on our Facebook pages, and judging by all the comments we've seen, you've definitely noticed a change in Governor Paul LePage's appearance.

He has lost more than 50 pounds and counting after undergoing weight loss surgery. When we caught up with him for our "day in the life" story that aired yesterday, he said it's a decision he is glad he made.

Since it is working so well for the governor right now, we decided to take a look into the pros and cons of weight loss procedures, and what you can expect if you ever decide to bring it up with your doctor.

And at Maine Medical Center, getting weight loss surgery is not a quick fix, it's a lifestyle change. Dr. Roy Cobean says you have to show you can commit to a wellness plan and demonstrate the ability to make long-term changes before surgery is even on the table.

That can be difficult task and may drive some people away, but Dr. Cobean says what shouldn't have you running for the hills is the stigma that historically surrounded the procedure.

"It was shameful or it was it's lazy, and you should be able to eat less and exercise more," Dr. Cobean says. "And that is so wrong for many people who can achieve 100 pounds over weight."

Those people, he says, are often fighting against genetics.

"If you have one obese parent, you have an elevated risk of being obese yourself, no matter how thin you were as a child."

What makes you a candidate for bariatric surgery? Having a Body Mass Index of 40 or more, or a BMI of 35 with other complications like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnea.

Sleeve Gastrectomy and Gastric Bypass are the two procedures performed here, and they do come with risks, such as leaks, but the overall mortality rate is about 0.1%, which is less than gallbladder or hip replacement surgery. Dr. Cobean says bariatric surgery is also covered by MaineCare, and even though many people in this state are eligible, only a fraction of them inquire about it.

"A lot of the reasons that I am aware of that people don't come here is they don't know it's an option," Dr. Cobean says.

The governor's success is shedding some light on it, and showing others that they do have options when it comes to weight loss and overall health.

2017 WCSH-TV

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Weight loss surgery: is it for you? | WCSH6.com - WCSH-TV

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Home » Long Term Weight Loss » Weight loss surgery: is it for you? | WCSH6.com – WCSH-TV