Gastric-Band Surgery Better Than Low-Calorie Diet: Study

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Minimally invasive adjustable gastric band surgery helps overweight people shed pounds better over the long term than a very low-calorie diet, says an Australian study published Tuesday in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

The study included 80 people who were, on average, 52 pounds over a healthy weight. Half of them had the gastric band surgery and half were put on a program that included a very low-calorie diet (500 calories a day) with liquid meal replacements, behavioral therapies, and prescription weight-loss medications, USA Today reported.

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Gastric banding places a band around the top of the stomach to create a feeling of fullness.

After six months, both groups of patients had lost an average of 14 percent of their weight. After two years, however, the gastric-band patients had lost 22 percent of their starting weight, compared to 5.5 percent for the dieters, who had regained much of their lost weight.

The researchers noted that the surgery does carry some risks, and some people may require follow-up procedures, such as adjusting the band position.

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