Myth: Gastric Bypass Patients Can Never Be Nutritionally Healthy

A common claim from gastric bypass detractors is that after surgery patients can never be nutritionally healthy and they must take daily vitamin supplements just to survive.

It is a mistaken notion that weight loss surgery patients cannot lead a nutritionally sound life. The assumption is due to the restrictive and malabsorptive nature of the surgery it is impossible to eat a nutritionally sound diet. However, when healthy food choices are combined with a solid vitamin and mineral supplement program bariatric patients do enjoy sound nutritional health. In fact, after surgery, most weight loss patients are more nutritionally healthy than before surgery.

Furthermore, evidence suggests most Americans should take vitamin and mineral supplements to ensure nutritional wellness. In the 2005 Dietary Guidelines published jointly by the Department of Agriculture and Department of Health & Human Services the government concedes that dietary supplements are a useful source of nutrients when nutritional needs are not being met through diet.

Here's the quote: "A basic premise of the Dietary Guidelines is that nutrient needs should be met primarily through consuming foods. . . In certain cases, fortified foods and dietary supplements may be useful sources of one or more nutrients that otherwise might be consumed in less than recommended amounts."

In most cases Americans, even those criticizing gastric bypass, don't meet their RDI of vitamins. Furthermore, most Americans do not know the specific guidelines are for vitamin and mineral intake. Even more alarming, because Americans do not consistently have annual check-ups and blood work, many do not know the state of their nutritional health.

WLS patients who return annually to their bariatric centers undergo blood tests to screen for nutritional health. Most patients meet with a nutritionist to assess vitamin and mineral needs and make adjustments for better health. Gastric bypass patients are on top of the nutritional game when they follow the program.

Bariatric patients who desire optimum health and nutrition will take dietary supplements daily. Combined with wise healthful food choices they can meet their body's nutritional needs.

The Food and Drug Administration considers vitamins, minerals, herbals and botanicals, animal extracts, amino acids, proteins, concentrates, and teas dietary supplements. The FDA governs the labeling and intake recommendations for dietary supplements. The following are FDA terms for describing dietary and nutritional needs:

DVs: Daily Values ? Daily values are two sets of references: DRV's and RDIs.

DRVs: Daily Reference Values - a set of dietary references that applies to fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, carbohydrate, protein, fiber, sodium, and potassium

RDIs: Reference Daily Intakes - a set of dietary references based on the Recommended Dietary Allowances for essential vitamins and minerals and, in selected groups, protein. RDI's are essential to our health.

RDAs: Recommended Dietary Allowances ? a set of estimated nutrient allowances required daily to maintain good health - established by the National Academy of Sciences. It is updated periodically to reflect current scientific knowledge. RDA's set the minimum intakes of vitamins and minerals and protein needed for the average person to stay healthy.

� 2005 Kaye Bailey - All Rights Reserved

Kaye Bailey is a weight loss surgery success story having maintained her health and goal weight for 5+ years. An award winning journalist, she is the author and webmaster of http://www.livingafterwls.com and http://www.livingafterwls.blogspot.com

Fresh & insightful content is added daily, check in often.

To subscribe to the LivingAfterWLS monthly newsletter "You Have Arrived" click on http://www.livingafterwls.com and enter your details in the subscription box.

---

How the Protein Diet Works

Protein is an essential nutrient necessary for maintaining good health.... Read More

The Top Ten Things You Dont Want to Hear About Losing Weight

(But What You Need to Know if You Want to... Read More

Ultimate Weight Loss: 7 Simple Ways to Eat Better

Make sure you check out the meaning of many common... Read More

The Most Effective Fat Burning And Muscle Building Workout That Takes Just 13 Minutes

Most people who want to burn off some excess pounds... Read More

Small Changes to Weight Loss

As much as many of us who are over-weight do... Read More

Plan Your Way to Weight Loss Success

Like millions of men and women, I started resolving to... Read More

Little Weight Loss Goes A Long Way

From driving up your blood pressure and cholesterol, to increasing... Read More

How To Cop An Attitude With An Overzealous Hostess

We all encounter those hosts and hostesses who feel it... Read More

New Weight Loss Plan -- Resistance Training

My last article, Make Diets Work, concluded that dieting the... Read More

A New Option for Weight Loss Surgery

These days, Jennifer Secrist has little interest in idle activities.... Read More

Diet Scams : How to Avoid Getting Ripped Off

Have you ever received those tempting ads that seem to... Read More

The Mediterranean Diet - Oh So Tasty

Yes, there is more to the Mediterranean than sun, beach... Read More

No Thanks, Sweety: Im Losing Weight

Dealing with your sweet-tooth can be one of the greatest... Read More

Dieters : Put MORE Focus on Food

If you're always on a diet you probably spend half... Read More

Cause and Solution to Obesity

ObesityToday, 64.5 percent of adult Americans (about 127 million) are... Read More

Are You Overweight Because Youre Not Sleeping Enough?

If you're like me, you probably wish that there was... Read More

Prejudice and Obesity - Have You Been a Victim?

It's a sad comment on human nature that prejudice and... Read More

Diet Information - Dieting and Weight Loss Myths That Will Keep You From Losing Weight

You've heard them before and may even have believed some... Read More

Weight Loss Surgery: Successful Patients Embrace Four Stages of Growth

Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) is often viewed as a quick... Read More

Lose Weight & Achieve A Healthy Metabolism By Balancing And Adjusting Your Meals

How many meals do you eat in one day?Close study... Read More

Are You a Binge Eater?

Ever wonder if you have a serious problem with binge... Read More

Cycle Your Way To Weight Loss

Of all the possible exercises there are to help you... Read More

Obesity: Let?s Prevent A Life Threatening Disorder

In life, various factors contribute to weight gain. Be it... Read More

Pushing Gastric Bypass: When to Talk, When to Keep Quiet

Sharing our bariatric stories is as personal decision as electing... Read More

The Milk Diet -- Is it Your Solution for Losing Weight?

For sometime now, you've been hearing about the Milk Diet... Read More

How To Find Your Ideal Body Weight

A calorie is the unit used to measure the energy... Read More

Gene?s Diet Plan

Hot dang! If a few hundred other folks can peddle... Read More

6 Simple Steps To LifeLong Weight Loss

If You are sick of losing the same weight over... Read More

Combating Obesity

So you ask, "How do I determine if I am... Read More

Top 5 Most Popular Diet Programs Reviewed

There are many subscriber programs available both online and in... Read More

BuildingMoreThanBodies: Best Proteins For Burning Body Fat and Building Lean Muscles and Strong Bone

Lean turkeyLean ground beefChicken breastFish, halibut, orange roughy,More fish, shark,... Read More

Successful Weight-loss Pointers

Well we're at it again, trying to honor our promise... Read More

How To Improve Your Health In 14 Days: Small Changes For Maximum Health & Weight Loss

Many Americans include health improvement in their New Year's Resolutions.... Read More