Health and wealth are considered to be among the most important things for any individual and the rest of the emotions and desires accordingly follow. However, even among the two prime necessities, I would say that health is perhaps more important, even than wealth, as there is no way money earned can provide you with happiness, if you are not healthy enough to enjoy it. Sadly, modern times have forced individuals to participate in the rat race to earn more money, prestige and success but in the bargain, they have lost out on the health aspect. Surviving on junk food, lack of exercise or any physical activity and such other factors have given rise to many diseases, which have been termed as 'lifestyle diseases' and one of these diseases which can negatively affect our life with long term repercussions and even turn life threatening is morbid obesity. Miracle solutions, exercise and crash dieting can have no effect, if you have already fallen prey to this disease and may be the only solution exists in a stomach band surgery.

If you have been overweight for 5 years or more, have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more and no amount of exercising or dieting has helped, then you are an ideal candidate who will benefit immensely from a stomach band. Any individual who is 18 years or above, can approach a reputed surgeon for a treatment involving the placement of a stomach band or a lap band in his stomach, to reduce morbid obesity. The surgeon will then study the case history, find out if any other disease is causing the obesity, whether it is hereditary or just caused by an unhealthy lifestyle. The patient will also have to undergo many tests to ensure that his body is acceptable to the required surgery. Once the patient is certified to be healthy enough to undergo the surgery, it can proceed accordingly.

The stomach band is a silicone, restrictive band that is placed around the top portion of the stomach through a laparoscopic surgery. A small pouch is thereby, created on the upper portion of the stomach restricting the consumption of food. As a result the patient experiences a sense of fullness only after consuming a very little quantity of food and this induces the necessary weight loss over a period of time. As the band is adjustable in nature, it can be controlled to regulate the intake of food and hence, the amount of required weight loss. The surgery is also completely reversible, further adding to the appeal of this method of weight loss.

So, if you are suffering from morbid obesity and want to take the right step by opting for a stomach band, it is advisable that you first approach an experienced and competent surgeon to acquaint yourself with the entire procedure. Find out about the process, its effects and its side effects if any, as well as the recovery time and the post surgery care requirement. Only when you are completely aware of the entire procedure and its effects, as well as the cost of the entire treatment, you could actually go ahead and opt for this surgery and regain control over your life to be healthy.