Inspira Health Network

Finally nning at Weight Loss Meet Inspira's Bariatric Team Bariatric Surgeons • Ahmed Attia, D.O. • Nauveed Iqbal, M.D. • Alexander Knijnikov, D.O. • Derek Stephenson, M.D. Bariatric Program Coordinators • Susan Shropshire, R.N., C.B.N., M.B.S.C. Inspira Medical Centers Vineland and Elmer • Roseanne M. Racano, M.S.N., R.N., C.M.S.R.N. Inspira Medical Center Woodbury To learn more about Inspira's bariatric surgery program, call 1-800-INSPIRA and register for a free informational session. When the Effort PAYS OFF A trip to the grocery store was anything but simple for Ashlee Austin of Vineland, due to ankle pain from an old injury and a severe lack of energy. Often, Ashlee had to limit her trips to shopping in only two aisles. Fast-forward to today. Ashlee, now 33, leads an active lifestyle that allows her to experience life in new ways. Her secret? She had a type of weight-loss surgery called sleeve gastrectomy (also called a gastric sleeve), a fiercely positive attitude and a strong desire to succeed. A full 206 pounds lighter, she is grateful for the education and support she received from her team at Inspira Medical Center Vineland. "They provided a lot of knowledge and tools that really helped," Ashlee said. "I started to lose more weight than I had on any diet before." Ashlee also credits the positive spirit of the dietitians at Inspira Health Network, and the support of family and friends for her success. "The work you put in will show," Ashlee said. "It is something that I have to do every day, at every single meal, and I am proud that I have been able to make the hard choices." Everything from how a person's genes interact with food to his or her environment can affect obesity. Because there are so many uncontrollable factors related to weight gain, lifestyle changes don't always work when it comes to shedding pounds. Weight-loss surgery (also called bariatric surgery) can be very effective for severely obese people who have tried unsuccessfully to lose weight. An August 2016 study in JAMA Surgery found that people who underwent one type of bariatric surgery had lost as much as 30 percent more of their baseline weight in the 10 years following their surgery, compared with those who didn't have surgery. More Than Just a Smaller Waistline Seventy percent of American adults are considered overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity is associated with many health issues, including high blood pressure, sleep apnea, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, osteoarthritis, polycystic ovary syndrome and depression. In many cases, weight-loss surgery can slow or even reverse the damage caused by these conditions. According to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), weight-loss surgery lowers blood sugar and reduces reliance on medication in nearly 90 percent of patients with Type 2 diabetes. It causes total remission in 78 percent, according to the ASMBS. It's easy to assume that losing weight is all about eating less and exercising more. But there's a lot more to it than calories in, calories out — and weight-loss surgery can be a useful tool for many people struggling with that balance. Ashlee Austin Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy April 27, 2015 Read Ashlee's story, "When the Effort Pays Off," below 4 Late Winter 2018 Inspira Health Network Family & Friends + You

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