Weight Loss Surgery News Blog

Link: http://www.robertorizzi.com

2 January 2008

HONG KONG - Leading global market research firm Synovate today released data that shows that across the world people have conflicting attitudes and behaviours when it comes to managing their weight.

Synovate's Global Head of Media, Steve Garton, said that these conflicts can be seen across cultures as well as within individuals.

"People are inherently contradictory and nowhere is it more obvious than on such a sensitive and important issue as their weight. The results show there's a world of people who cannot deny themselves that hamburger or extra piece of pizza, but probably make themselves feel better by washing it down with a diet cola."

The findings come from a global survey that looked at weight management among more than 9,000 respondents across 13 countries on five continents - United Kingdom, France, Czech Republic, Romania, United States, Canada, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia.

Off-the-scale behaviour

Fifteen percent of French people and 12% of Americans weigh themselves every single day, while at the other end of the spectrum only 15% of Hong Kongers get on the scales once or more every week.

"We wanted to see whether people were habitually thinking about their weight and monitoring it," Garton said.

Around a third of all respondents are regular scale-dwellers, while one in five people never weigh themselves. Half of all Americans and the French check their weight once a week or more and the Singaporeans are the least weight-obsessed with 37% never getting on the scales.

Thierry Pailleux, Synovate's Managing Director in France, made the point that the similar results for France and America possibly stemmed from very different motivations.

"French people take care of their image as a matter of course. Being thin is part of our culture and a point of pride. We are known for it. On top of this, there is increasing awareness of the devastation that obesity can cause to one's health."

Food as fuel or pleasure?

The study asked a series of attitudinal questions which respondents agreed or disagreed with. Garton said this was the clincher in realising just how conflicted people seem to be about food.

"On one hand, more than half of all respondents (54%) agreed that they eat whatever they want, whenever they want. On the other hand, more than two thirds say 'I watch my food intake carefully and strive to be healthy' which rather flies in the face of the first claim. This is the crux of food issues across the globe. People are torn by food as fuel versus food as pleasure," he said.

The number one fast food nation

The Synovate study also uncovered the number one fast food nation. When asked to agree or disagree with the statement 'I like the taste of fast food too much to give it up', the most addicted nation was the United Kingdom with 45% agreeing.

"Britons love their fish and chips, but only beat the Americans to the punch on fast food addiction by a small margin of one percent. A hefty 44% of Americans cannot give up burgers, pizza and wings, with the next most addicted nation Canada at 37%," Garton said.

The highest disagrees were France (81%), Singapore (75%) and Hong Kong and Romania (both 73%).

Pailleux said the French are clearly very concerned about weight but their issues have not arisen due to fast food.

"We are more concerned about our traditional high-fat cooking techniques and rich ingredients. This is not something we are going to give up easily... sharing classic food and time with loved ones is key to the French sensibility. However, there is also an element of not wanting to admit that fast food has a place in our lives," he said.

Obesity: A weighty issue

Obesity is a global issue. It is reaching epidemic proportions in developed nations and many developing countries now also have problems.

Synovate asked people what they believed the main cause of obesity was and found that 40% of all people attribute food as the culprit - 20% chose 'unhealthy food choices' and another 20% chose 'unhealthy food habits like eating at irregular hours'. A further 18% say it is 'lack of exercise', 13% blame the individual ('no self-discipline') and 11% say 'genetics'.

People in the UK (21%) and US (20%), two of the nations with the biggest issues, are most likely to nominate 'no self-discipline' as the leading factor in obesity.

Across the globe, very few people blame their Government as the number one factor in causing obesity.

Losing it

The Synovate survey asked what steps people took when their weight creeps past a certain threshold.

When people are having no joy with their zippers, more choose to address weight issues with measures related to food rather than exercise. The most popular choice globally was 'reduce food intake' at 47%, followed by 'increase physical activity' at 43% and 'change the types of food that you eat' at 35%.

Fifty seven percent of Americans, 56% of French and 54% of Britons deny themselves food to try to lose the pounds, while 14% of Malaysians go for an easy fix, opting for herbs and supplements to try to manage the problem.

A lucky 21% of respondents say their weight does not change - a third of Hong Kong people, 29% of Singaporeans and 27% of Brazilians fall into this category.

Home gyms, low-fat foods and weight loss programmes

The study asked respondents whether they were using a series of measures to either reduce or maintain their weight. Despite the growing girth of many nations, the most popular choice was using none of these measures at all at 40%.

However, a third of all people employ low-fat food products in their weight management regime and 22% use home exercise equipment. Tackling exercise at home was most prevalent in the United States and United Arab Emirates (one third of all people say they use home equipment), Canada (31%) and United Kingdom (30%).

George Griffin, Synovate's Vice President, Multi Client Group, in the United States, said: "Americans are getting bigger and the message is getting through that we need to tackle it. Many are trying to do this in the comfort of their own homes with exercise equipment.

"This is a phenomenon we also see in our monthly DuraTrend data, which tracks new purchases of electronics. Sales of bathroom scales that are able to measure body fat have doubled since 2003," he said.

People from the Middle East seem to throw everything at weight problems. Saudi Arabians, and those from UAE were among the top users for low-fat food products, herbs and supplements, meal replacements, weight loss courses, low-carbohydrate foods, diet plans, diet books, gym memberships, as well as home exercise equipment.

Andreas Zachariou, Managing Director of Synovate in UAE and Acting Managing Director of Saudi Arabia, said this was not surprising with more than half the population now classified as overweight or obese.

"While these efforts may not be too focused, the good news is that people are putting some effort into reducing their weight. Health issues are creeping into the consumer consciousness - however, these measures may be more about looking good than improving health."

Weight loss courses and memberships like WeightWatchers™, Jenny Craig™ and their ilk are most popular in the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia (10% of respondents are using or have used them) and Australia at 9%.

PressRelease
Contact for this press release
Linda Collard
Director - Marketing Communications, Asia
9/F Leighton Centre
77 Leighton Road
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Telephone: +852 2830 2588

Link: http://www.robertorizzi.com/qualification.htm

Severe obesity is a growing problem and chance is you know someone who is overly obese. It may be you. Morbid obesity is a serious health condition and if not treated can shorten your life. Weight loss Surgery may be an option for you to help you live the life you want and need.

Who can qualify:
• whose health is at serious risk. This is termed 'morbid obesity' and corresponds to a body mass index of 40 or more (click here to calculate your BMI)
• who has a BMI between 35 and 40 and a medical condition (obesity-related health problems such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemias, sleep apnea, coronary insufficiency, gastroes-ophageal reflux disease, depression, knee or hip osteoarthritis and other related conditions) that would be improved by losing weight
• who has a BMI of 32 or higher and has Diabetes II
• who has made serious and prolonged attempts to lose weight by other means under appropriate medical supervision
• who is fit enough for surgery and general anesthesia confirmed by your local doctor.

Weight loss surgery is not a cure all, but if you have the surgery performed along with a dedication to change your life then you will lose weight and be able to maintain your ideal weight. For most people the surgery risks are minimal.

A person who undergoes weight-loss surgery needs to make a lifelong commitment to a new lifestyle, including a new nutrition and exercise regimen, otherwise weight-loss surgery will probably not be effective.

The UK department of Health statistics summarized:

One in seven patients treated in hospital for obesity is under the age of 15, official figures show.

The number of people of all ages admitted for obesity-related illnesses has risen 50 per cent in two years.

A total of almost 4,000 were treated from April 2006 to March 2007, according to the Department of Health figures.

Child obesity rates have trebled over the past 20 years, with 10 per cent of six-year-olds and 17 per cent of 15-year-olds now considered obese.

Adult obesity rates, meanwhile, have nearly quadrupled over the last 25 years, making Britain the secondfattest nation in the developed world, behind only the U.S..

The Department of Health figures show that obesity was responsible for 3,876 hospital admissions in 2006-2007 and accounted for more than 13,000 days in hospital.

A number of the patients were admitted for stomach surgery in an attempt to make them eat less. The average age of the patients was just 39. Fifteen per cent were under the age of 15.

A landmark report issued earlier this year warned that obesity is more dangerous than smoking and can reduce life expectancy by as much as 13 years.

Link: http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/preview.jsp?resourceid=3605391

SAO PAULO, Brazil, Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Many people want or need weight loss surgery. Many are not covered by health insurance. They need a low-cost, safe and fixed-price alternative. Franco e Rizzi (http://www.robertorizzi.com/) offers a unique surgical program with a fixed price of $11,497 (cost of surgical complications included).

Obese people without insurance coverage are obliged to search seriously for the best obesity surgery price and service their money can buy.

Search the web! Estimates are easy to obtain. What is not easy is obtaining a firm commitment! Most estimates do not include costs for extra materials and instruments possibly required during the surgery or recovery period. Extra material costs, extra days in the hospital or even one or more days in intensive care can be a severe blow to any budget.

Having a guaranteed price therefore assists in obtaining better terms for financing the surgery.

"I was amazed at how many people need this operation but are not covered by medical insurance. I want to offer the opportunity for such people to have safe and affordable obesity surgery at a fixed cost," says Dr Roberto Rizzi, who has been active in laparoscopic surgery in Brazil since 1992.

"After consulting with my multi-disciplinary team, we were able to structure a package which includes laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery in one of the best hospitals in Brazil, the renowned Hospital Sao Luiz (http://www.saoluiz.com.br/internacional), pre and post-care follow-up and the excellent services of Great Start Ltda (http://www.greatstartinbrazil.com/) to manage local transport, patient coordination and assistance. All at a fixed cost, even if complications should occur during the surgery."

The first patient under this "all unforeseen surgery costs included" program was Mrs. Siumara Teixeira, who flew from New York to Brazil to get the weight loss surgery: "I could tell the medical staff and hospital took extraordinary care to ensure everything would run smoothly and without complications. I was on a tight budget, and it was a relief to know I would not have any unforeseen extra costs."

Ruy Bevilacqua (Corporate Medical Director of Hospital Sao Luiz) confirms their support of this unique program structured by Dr. Roberto Rizzi. "We know we have a very efficient facility and all the latest technology at his disposal, and having worked with Dr. Rizzi for twenty years, we feel more than confident of his 'patient's safety first' approach."

About Franco e Rizzi

Dr. Roberto Rizzi and his team have performed more then 3,000 laparoscopic surgeries. His team is specialized in Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass Surgery as well as other bariatric related surgeries. Dr. Rizzi's team of professionals includes a dietitian, a psychologist, a physiotherapist, a physician, anesthesiologists and plastic surgeons, all specialized in obesity treatment.

Contact Information:

Franco e Rizzi: Fred Lotgering, Patient Coordinator, fred@robertorizzi.com, +55 (11) 5533-4958

Hospital Sao Luiz: Karin Faria, Communication Supervisor, kfaria@saoluiz.com.br, +55 (11) 3040-9290

Source: Franco e Rizzi

CONTACT: Fred Lotgering, Patient Coordinator, Franco e Rizzi,
+011-55-11-5533-4958, fred@robertorizzi.com; or Karin Faria, Communication
Supervisor, Hospital Sao Luiz, +011-55-11-3040-9290, kfaria@saoluiz.com.br

Web site: http://www.francoerizzi.com.br/
http://www.robertorizzi.com/
http://www.saoluiz.com.br/internacional
http://www.greatstartinbrazil.com/