For some of us, maintaining a healthy weight is as easy as breathing – it happens without much thought or effort. But for others, weight loss feels like nothing short of magic. So why is it so different from one person to the next?

Dr Daniel Mafi at Tauranga’s Bay Surgery knows how difficult, multi-faceted, and emotionally-charged the issue of weight loss can be. If you’re one of the many Kiwis who struggles with weight despite your best efforts, weight loss surgery might be for you.

A traditional view of weight loss

Scientifically, maintaining a healthy weight has always been understood as a simple equation: calories in versus calories out. Your food has calories. Your body uses up some of these calories just by functioning. On top of this, exercise burns even more calories.

The traditional view of weight loss is that, if you’re overweight or obese, you need to either eat less, or move more. The problem is this rarely works and it doesn’t explain why two people can eat the exact same foods, move the same amount, and be two completely different weights.

There must be more to it than that, right?

Our ever-growing notion of weight loss

Because the simple calories in – calories out equation doesn’t actually add up, many theories around weight loss have cropped up over the years. Some are credible, others not.

But what we do know is that there are more factors at play than just caloric intake, and this can include genetics, environment, hormones, underlying conditions, mental health, and more. It is far from simple and what works for one person’s weight loss might not work for another.

We also know that carrying excess weight can affect your quality of life, reduce your mobility, and lead to pain and discomfort. We believe that everyone deserves to enjoy life to the fullest, and that includes those among us who struggle to lose weight.

When is weight loss surgery an option?

For some people, the answer lies in weight loss surgery – though you do have to meet certain criteria. There are weight and BMI requirements. You must have tried to lose weight through other methods with little to no success. And you need to understand the risks and implications of turning to surgery to lose weight.

Are you considering weight loss surgery?

If you feel like you’ve tried everything and nothing has worked, it might be time to book in a consultation and discuss your options. Get in touch with Dr Daniel Mafi at Bay Surgery in Tauranga today.

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