Bariatric Surgery to Treat Menopausal Weight Gain?

Dear Timi,
I am a 43 year old woman who has been fit and thin all her life but experiences now very rapid weight gain, despite of continued exercising (a minimum of 5 times a week and fairly rigorously). My doctor has suggested I may have been thrown into early menopause due to stress associated with adrenal fatigue.

I am very dismayed about all this and think of having lap band procedures done, which may soon be available for people who are not truly obese but are trying to lose weight without success. Do you agree that this would be a good step for me to take at this time?

Thank you so much for any response at all!

Dear Reader,
Thank you for your inquiry. Unfortunately, I am not able to advise you based on nothing more than the information I have from your e-mail. In order to engage in any meaningful one-on-one counseling, I would need to know your complete medical history and receive a referral from your physician.

So I have to ask you not to take the following remarks as my professional advice upon which you should take action. Furthermore, I certainly do not wish to interfere in any way or form with the medical treatment you are being given by your physician or any other health care you may be receiving at this time.

Having said that, what strikes me is the rapid weight gain you are experiencing, despite the fact that you don’t seem to undergo any dramatic lifestyle changes. If your eating habits and your physical activity level have not changed, a thirty pound weight fluctuation should not occur for no reason.

You mention the possibility that you may have been thrown into early menopause due to intense stress. If your physician has ruled out any other medical reasons, like hormonal disturbances or metabolic dysfunctions, including certain medications you may be taking that could interfere with your digestive system, I would encourage you to investigate the underlying causes of your stress experiences and find constructive ways to resolve them.

You may wish to ask yourself what happened or changed in your life when you experienced this sudden weight gain. That could be a good place to start looking for answers. How could you change or come to terms with whatever the stress-producing situation may be? These are issues you may be able to address by yourself or with the help of professional counsel.

You say that you are considering lap band surgery as a possible step toward weight loss. I assume you have read my article on bariatric surgery I recently posted on my blog. If so, you already know that I see all surgical procedures for the purpose of weight loss as a measure of last resort only, meaning that you should think of taking such a drastic approach only if all other options have been tried and have failed.

I understand that you have been able to lose some weight already through rigorous physical exercise. I suggest that you keep up your current regimen and even increase it, if that is possible. Sticking to a balanced diet plan and limiting portion sizes can also be helpful. But be aware that if you reduce your food intake, you must have a high-quality diet to give your body the nutrients it needs.

For additional reading, I would like to refer you to these following articles on my blog: “A Better way to Eat,” “Everyday Recipes Modified for Health” and “A Restaurant Guide for Healthy Eating.”

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