KUBANG KERIAN, July 2015 - A person is classified as being affected by severe or morbid obesity if he or she has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 35 to 40 or more and experiencing obesity-related health conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

This problem is caused by excessive calorie intake and lack of physical exercise which could lead to the disruption of daily routine, sleep apnea (snoring), joint pains especially in knees, gastric and infertility.

Therefore it is important to recognise and treat morbid obesity at the early stage before the illnesses sets in or the condition worsens.

Surgery is one of the effective ways of treating obesity besides the more popular treatment of taking care of our diet/food intake that requires a great deal of determination and discipline as well as the use of weight-loss drugs/medication that usually give long-term side effects.

According to a lecturer from the Surgery Department, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Dr. Mohd Nizam Md Hashim, bariatric surgery treatment such as sleeve gastrectomy is one of the more common surgeries performed for the treatment of obesity.

"In sleeve gastrectomy surgery, the size of the stomach is reduced and this limits the intake of solid foods, resulting in patients eating smaller portions of food and will quickly feel full,” he said during an interview in a local radio programme here.

Mohd Nizam said people are still not aware of this surgical treatment although it has long been introduced and recognised as an effective and safe form of surgery to treat obesity.

“In addition, this surgery can help cure other obesity related illnesses as can be seen in patients suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure being fully cured over a period of time or having their medication intake reduced significantly,” he added.

Mohd Nizam explained that patients are usually advised to seek advice from medical experts or surgeons before proceeding with this treatment.

"It is important for each patient to understand the scope and limitation of the surgery as well as the necessary procedures to adhere to before surgery and after surgery care instructions so that no unwanted side effects occur and for optimal results," said Mohd Nizam.

Translation: Tan Ewe Hoe/Text: Mohd Hafiz Yaacob/Photo: Muhd Zulkifli Zakaria