pic

The Top Surprising Benefit of Bariatric Surgery: The Satiety Hormone

Oct 26, 2017

The Top Surprising Benefit of Bariatric Surgery: The Satiety Hormone

Bariatric surgery is a safe, smart, and effective solution for losing a lot of weight when other options haven’t worked. It’s known for having wide range of possible benefits: rapid and successful weight loss, improved health, remission of diabetes, to name a few.

But the best? Let’s talk about the satiety hormone.

WHY DO WE GET HUNGRY?

Yes, we feel hunger because we haven’t eaten recently enough, but WHY does that happen?

Our bodies have certain enteroendocrine cells that continually produce a hormone, Leptin, that lets us know when we’re full – but we’ll refer to it as the satiety hormone. When we haven’t had enough to eat, the production is decreased which our body reads as a cue to go and get some food.

In short, our bodies are always reading hormonal cues to let us know when to make a meal.

HOW DOES THE SATIETY HORMONE RELATE TO OBESITY?

People who have obesity and overweight often get stigmatized as people who cannot control their eating habits. Others treat them like they’re never full.

They’re not; or they get full less easily. Their hormones have changed.

A study by St. Claraspital Basel in Switzerland and the University of Liverpool, UK, looked into satiety in people with obesity. They noticed that obesity significantly reduced the number of enteroendocrine cells in the body.

With fewer cells, less of the satiety hormone is produced; thus, the spike in hunger.

WHAT DOES BARIATRIC SURGERY HAVE TO DO WITH THE SATIETY HORMONE?

The previously-mentioned study focused on the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and its post-op effects on the body. Researchers noticed that the satiety hormone was actually INCREASED to normal levels after patients had lost excess weight.

This is part of why bariatric patients keep achieving their weight-loss goals. It’s not only the reduced stomach size that helps people keep the weight off; they eat less because their bodies have regained the ability to let them know that they are full.

Bariatric surgery simply sets patients up for success.

UNIVERSITY BARIATRICS IS HERE TO HELP.

At University Bariatrics, our patients’ health, comfort, and success are our top priorities. We stay in close contact with them from the first time we talk throughout surgery and through the recovery period to ensure that they lose their desired amount of excess weight.

We offer a variety of procedures including the sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass, as well as revisional bariatric surgery. It’s our goal to help everyone be healthy and happy.

If you’re interested in bariatric surgery, give us a call or send an e-mail. We can’t wait to chat! https://www.universitybariatrics.com/contact-us/

University Bariatrics