It’s the holiday season.
However according to local doctors, a little holiday weight gain is a concern for those who are already overweight or obese.
American’s weight increases by 0.2 percent during Thanksgiving and 0.4 percent over Christmas, according to a report by the New England Journal of Medicine.
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 70 percent of the adult population is already overweight or obese.
“Typically patients come in after the holidays and they put on several pounds and they’ve already had a couple pounds if they wanted to lose as well so they come in looking for options,”
Dr. Jacob Karr said, with the Gastroenterology Clinic of Acadiana.
He along with Dr. Eric Trawick said weight loss surgeries can be costly and very invasive.
“All of those require some type of incision, some type of removal of tissue, removing the stomach or rerouting part of the intestines,” Trawick said.
Acadiana doctors are now using a relatively new procedure, placing not one, but two balloons into a person’s stomach to aid with weight loss.
“We placed the balloons in the stomach with the use of the scope, inflate the balloons with sterile saline so that they occupy space within the stomach and then we’re done,” Trawick explains.
The balloons stay in the stomach for 6 months.
It’s a way for patients to fill up more quickly.
Patients are then placed in a nutritional and behavioral program.
“The balloons are a tool and you need multiple tools to be successful so diet exercise and decreasing the amount of food you take in our very important aspects of weight loss,” Karr said.
For those who are just looking to eat healthy over the holidays, doctors recommend everything in moderation.
“You want to make sure that you’re following your body’s natural cues. Don’t come to the table starving. (You) need to eat sensibly during the day as you normally would. Go enjoy your favorite dishes just in moderation,” Trawick said.
Doctors recommend talking to your physician to look at all your weight loss options.
