Am I a Candidate for Non-Surgical Weight Loss?

Almost half of the U.S. population tipped over into the obesity category in 2017-2018. Many more were — and are — overweight. Whether you’re overweight or considered obese, those extra pounds stress put you at risk for serious health conditions and diseases, including:

• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Cancer

Darrien Gaston, MD, FACP, FACG, an expert gastroenterologist and obesity medicine physician, cares about your health. He knows that one of the most important aspects of being healthy and staying healthy is achieving and maintaining a weight that’s appropriate to your build.

That’s why Dr. Gaston and our team at Metropolitan Gastroenterology Consultants in Chicago, Illinois, offer reversible, nonsurgical weight-loss techniques that help you lose weight as you change your habits. 

Is a non-surgical, reversible weight procedure what you need to permanently control your weight and health? If you’re over the age of 22, read on to find out.

Does your weight yo-yo?

If you’ve tried and failed to maintain a healthy weight, you could be a candidate for non-surgical weight loss. Traditional calorie-restriction diets tend to trigger your body’s survival instincts because the lack of calories to burn makes your body think it’s starving. 

To compensate, once you eat your normal amount of calories again, your body grabs onto every single calorie it can and stores it as fat, in preparation for another “starvation” period. So, if you regain weight after you lose it, you don’t lack willpower. It’s just your body, trying to ensure its own survival.

Rather than focusing on eating less (which may also make your brain want more), Dr. Gaston encourages you to focus on eating better. That means choosing foods that nourish your body. Instead of stress eating with empty calories, eat more mindfully and slowly.

If you have a lot of weight to lose, however, developing good habits may not be enough to help you shed the pounds quickly. Assistance from a nonsurgical weight-loss technique lets you achieve a healthy weight, while you adopt habits that make your body feel nourished, strong, and satisfied.

Is your BMI between 30 and 40?

If you have a body-mass index (BMI) of 30-40, you may qualify for a simple nonsurgical weight-loss aid called Orbera®, which displaces space in your stomach with a balloon. With Obera, you could lose 20-50 pounds or even more.  

Dr. Gaston is one of the first specialists to use Orbera, which was approved by the FDA in 2015. If you’re a candidate, he places the balloon in your stomach through a simple endoscopic procedure. The balloon stays in place for about six months.

During that time, Dr. Gaston helps you adopt healthy eating habits, such as adding more vegetables and fruits to your diet. You also learn to replace processed foods, sugar, and other non-nutritious items with healthier and better tasting, more satisfying whole-food choices.

The Orbera isn’t just a balloon and a new diet plan, however. It’s a weight-loss technique that supports you with an entire team. In addition to Dr. Gaston, you have consultations with a dietician, fitness trainer, and a psychologist so that you address all of the factors involved in healthy weight loss and healthy eating.

Is your BMI between 35 and 55?

When your GMI is over 40, you don’t qualify for Orbera. However, you may be a candidate for another nonsurgical weight-loss method:

AspireAssist® 

AspireAssist is an FDA-approved method of nonsurgical weight loss for adults with a BMI of 35-55. Instead of displacing space in your stomach with balloons, the AspireAssist lets you eat your normal portions, while you learn new healthier eating patterns. 

The AspireAssist is a small tube that Dr. Gaston places in your stomach in a 15-minute outpatient procedure. The tube leads to a port outside your body that’s covered by a small button. After you eat, you empty 1/3 of your stomach contents into the toilet through the port.

You must eat slowly and chew thoroughly for the AspireAssist to work properly. Learning to eat slowly and chew well are essential habits for healthy eating. Chewing releases enzymes in your mouth that help you digest and process food.

Slow eating also lets your “hunger hormones” signal your brain when you’ve had enough to eat. The AspireAssist helps you become more aware of this process so that you learn over time when you’ve had enough food. 

In addition to the support you get from Dr. Gaston and our team, you also have access to an online AspireAssist weight loss community. During the year or more that the port stays in place, you learn how to eat for nourishment and pleasure without filling your body with empty calories that only make you hungrier.

When it’s time to remove the device, Dr. Gaston extracts it in a 10-minute outpatient procedure. However, you continue to get the support you need to maintain the good habits you learned when the AspireAssist was in place. 

If you’re ready to throw out the yo-yo and change your habits and body for good with significant and permanent weight loss, contact us today about nonsurgical weight-loss aids. Call our convenient Chicago office about Orbera or AspireAssist. You can also book an appointment online.