This past Sunday Lesley Stahl, CBS news correspondent for 60 Minutes completed a special report on what many are now referring to as The Bypass Effect. As doctors know gastric bypass or bariatric surgery has been performed since the 1950’s. The safety of patients undergoing the procedure was a serious concern for physicians until the development of similar but less invasive procedures such as the laparoscopic band.

As the surgical option for weight loss has become more main-stream, the number of surgeries performed each year has increased along with the safety of the procedure. According to Dr. Neil Hutcher a bypass surgeon from Richmond, Va. bypass surgery is the most effective means of curing obesity with a success rate of 85-90%. Patients on average lose one third of their total body weight after the surgery.

What Stahl notes is that not only do bariatric patients experience weight loss, many have experienced other pleasant but previously unknown side effects in addition to their weight loss. For many who have opted to undergo bypass surgery, their type II diabetes has vanished and the surgery has also been reported to suppress appetite and curb food cravings.

Of the 10 patients Stahl interviews the entire panel had typeII diabetes before the surgery but all of them are now free of diabetes and sugar controlling medications. According to Dr. Hutcher approximately 80% of patients who undergo bypass surgery are cured of diabetes. Although it is true that obesity is one of the largest contributing factors to type II diabetes these patients experience the remission of diabetes before they recorded weight loss. For most patients their diabetes had disappeared before they returned home after having the surgery.

All of which is great news for anyone considering bypass or lap-band surgery! To watch the 60 Minutes news cast click the player below.

Being named one of the World Health Organization ten most obese countries has got to bruise the national ego. What is more, of the 10 countries to gain this robust reputation only 2, Kuwait and the United States are non-Pacific Island nations. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention there has been a dramatic increase in the rate of obesity in the United States over the past 20 years. So much so that in 2006 only four states had an obesity prevalence of less than 20%. It seems that being obese is about as American as apple pie.

So, why are so many Americans obese? When we compare American statistics to Canadian statistics, Canadian obesity while also on the rise has not reached the epic proportions found in the United States. Canada is currently ranked 35th on WHO’s list. Pretty dismal considering most of Canada is covered in ice and snow for 6 months of the year! Is the cause genetic, social, environmental, socio-economic or cultural? WHO points to the shift in diet towards energy dense foods high in fat and sugars but low in micro nutrients, an overall decrease in physical activity due to sedentary forms of work, reliable transportation and urbanization as causes of obesity.

WHO estimates that there are currently 1.6 billion overweight adults in the world, a number that is projected to increase by another 40% within 10 years. The population of the United States is 301,139,947 (estimated in July 2007) and 74.1% of American’s are overweight or obese. This means that approximately 223,144,701 people in America are facing very serious obesity related health consequences such as heart attack, stroke, diabetes and hypertension.

In general the classification of “overweight” and “obese” are based on individual Body Mass Index or BMI. Body Mass Index is the most widely used tool to determine healthy body weight. BMI measures your weight relative to your height and provides you with a numeric measurement. People are considered overweight if they have a BMI equal or greater than 25, while the term obese applies to people with a BMI of 30 or more.

Just in case you were curious here is a list of the 10 most obese countries and some links to other related articles.

There is nothing better than laughter to get you well on your way to weight loss. These wacky weight loss gimmicks are bound to have you rolling on the floor in stitches, have a peak.

The iGallop

Seriously, watch the commercial. At first I was unsure if this was a gag…I was astonished to discover that the iGallop is in fact a real weight loss “tool” invented by a man with a fetish for cowgirls no doubt!

Electronic Muscle Stimulation

EMS or Electronic Muscle Stimulation is purported to work by sending an electronic pulse through your muscle causing it to contract involuntarily. The ultimate lazy man’s workout, I am sad to say I have tried this one, but to no avail.

Dr. Lawton’s Guaranteed Fat Reducer

The ad states that you will see a fat reduction within 11 days or your money is refunded. HAH! Apparently the man in the picture (Dr. Lawton himself) reduced his weight from 211 pounds to 152 pounds. If this puppy actually works sign me up!

Fat Reducing Vibrating Message Belts

Common people, did you actually believe that standing around while your fat jiggles in public would help reduce your weight? And what’s with the hats? If you look closely, they are eating and drinking while they “work out”.

The Sauna Suit

Sweat yourself thin. This is the premise of the sauna suit. While it does reduce weight by DEHYDRATING you, the effects of the sauna suit are sure to be short lived. But hey, if silver jogging suits are your thing, this one is sure to draw some attention.

The Weight Loss Patch

Modern voodoo weight loss methods never cease to amaze me. The weight loss patch promises to unleash the triple threat of a simple appetite suppressant, provide a metabolic jolt… all the while using safe natural weight loss ingredients…

The Power Plate

Now this one is interesting. Apparently standing still on one of these supersonic vibrating machines can help promote circulation, improve muscle strength and flexibility, enhance your range of motion, improve your core strength and overall stability…. and cause possible brain damage if you vibrate too much.

Rebounding A.K.A Trampolining

Bounce your way to a better bod! Though this one is wacky, I think it might actually work. Studies have shown that jumping on a trampoline is not only great exercise it has great effects on mood. Just look how happy she is bouncing around!

The Personal Sauna

Operating under the same principle as the sauna suit, the personal sauna promises to help you shed unwanted weight again by sweating it off. Just set your temperature and timer then voila…a whole new you! Do you even think a 300-pound man can fit inside that contraption?

The Thighmaster

Ahhh…who could forget the thighmaster- Suzanne Somers 90’s sensation? Make sure you have a good grip on the sucker before you get going though, I have seen many an accident mostly involving small children who are enticed by this strange looking instrument.

Body Wrapping

You know what they say- there’s is a sucker born every minute. Did this poor lady actually believe that temporarily mummifying herself with tensor bandages would make her thin? I mean look at the poor woman!

Although it’s hard to admit, I happen to be one of those suckers, having tried some of these outlandish methods to “safely” lose weight.

What wacky weight loss gimmicks have you seen and tried?

We all know it is illegal to discriminate against people on the basis of age, race, gender or sexual preference, but researchers from Yale have found that widespread discrimination exists against the overweight and obese. I am quite certain that this information is nothing new to anyone who has ever struggled with their weight.

The dirty looks you get when you buy fast food, the snickering as you try to squeeze your way into a packed elevator, people staring at you before you enter an airplane hoping their seat is not next to you. This type of stigmatism and stereotyping is terrible to experience, but demonstrates that weight discrimination does exist even in a society that believes in freedom form racial or gender discrimination. Talk about double standards…

Statistics show that more than half of the population of North America are either overweight or obese so what explains this phenomenon? According to Rebecca Puhl lead author of the Yale study bias against the overweight and obese “remains very socially acceptable in our culture.” According to Puhl even though we live in a society where obesity has reached epidemic proportions our culture still places a premium on fitness. Fitness within our culture symbolizes values such as hard work, ambition and discipline if you are thin you are thought to possess these characteristics.

Conversely, if you are overweight or obese then you must be weak and lack self discipline.

What is even more interesting about this study is that researchers found that women were more at risk for experiencing weight discrimination with their chances increasing once their BMI hit 27 putting them in the overweight category. Men on the other hand were not at any increased risk for discrimination until their BMI reached 35 which would place them in the obese category.

It is important to note that overweight and obese people are at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension and others on an extensive list of serious health related issues. Weight, is not as cut and dry as eating less and exercising more, for many people genetic factors play a role in their struggle with weight. For those people there are a growing number of surgical options both non-invasive (Lap Band surgery) and invasive (Gastric Bypass Surgery). Expert panels from places such as the National Institute of Health have concluded that it is very difficult for certain people to sustain weight loss long-term without surgical intervention.

Studies have indicated that obese people with this predisposition are likely only to sustain a 10% loss of body weight. For a person who weighs 400 pounds that is a weight loss of only 40 pounds which would still leave them at risk for poor health later in life.