Insurance Company Searches for Non-Surgical Cure for Obesity

A growing number of obese patients are looking to gastric bypass surgery as a cure for obesity, but is it the only choice? At least one major insurance company is spearheading research to find a non-surgical solution to this growing problem.

Now that Medicare covers weight loss surgery for those patients who qualify, more and more insurance carriers are following suit. The cost of the procedure is high, which can vary from $25,000 to $40,000 (and much more if complications set in). Therefore, it makes sense for one of the biggest health insurance companies in the country, BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York, to team up with researchers at the University at Buffalo School of Public Health to see if surgery is really the most effective cure for obesity.

This researchers hope to find an effective treatment for obesity with fewer side effects and complications than gastric bypass surgery. Some of those complications can be life threatening, which is of great concern to both insurance companies and patients. Of course, the risk of complications for any surgery is higher for obese patients, who often have additional risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

Why do we need a non-surgical cure for obesity?

Any abdominal operation will place a great deal of stress on the body. Open wounds sometimes fail to heal, and may become infected. Additional risks that can occur from any abdominal surgery include pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, abscess, urinary tract infections, and hemorrhage. These complications may be life-threatening, and are also expensive, which give additional incentive for finding alternatives to surgery.

Many post-surgical patients also develop nutritional deficiencies unless they carefully monitor their diet and take appropriate vitamin and mineral supplements. After gastric bypass most patients also become intolerant of many foods, such red meats and dairy foods, and foods containing high amounts of sugar and fat.

In spite of the possible complications of surgery, obesity is also a life-threatening condition, and gastric bypass has been proven to resolve or reverse many of the common illnesses associated with excess weight, and the procedure may prolong the lives of those who undergo the surgery. Many doctors believe almost any cure for obesity, even one with the risk of surgery, is better than no cure at all.

But what if there a less invasive and less expensive alternative that works as well as gastric bypass as a cure for obesity, without the risks? That’s what the researchers at University at Buffalo School of Public Health hope to find out. In their study, four groups of 70 patients each will receive different nonsurgical treatments to manage their severe obesity.

• One group will follow a low-calorie diet with 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day, and will participate in behavioral treatment.
• A second group will follow the same diet and behavioral therapy, but will be given medication as well.
• A third group will follow an extremely low calorie diet of only 800 calories a day, along with participation in the behavioral treatment,
• And the fourth group will follow this same regimen, with the addition of medication.

Will this research discover the ideal cure for obesity?

This five-year study will carefully monitor the health of the patients, along with the amount of weight lost or gained. At the end of the study, we will know if one of the four options studies is an effective alternative for gastric bypass surgery. In the past, certain weight-loss pills were considered reasonably effective, but they had far too many health risks and were taken off the market. And very low calorie diets have, in the past, been found to cause weight gain as soon as the patient fell off the diet, and the failure rate was high without behavioral modification and intensive counseling.  The investigators theorize that those who stay on the very-low-calorie diet and receive medication and behavior treatment will achieve the best results.

Any medically-sanctioned cure for obesity must offer permanent weight loss while improving the patient’s overall health.