Entrepreneur Hecel Zamora went from 275lbs to 141lbs in just 8 months - thanks to a weight loss surgical treatment that has been reaping raves around the world

That was then. Hecel, an entrepreneur from Meycauayan, Bulacan, now revels in the fact that she's a lady with "curves in all the right places." Thanks to a weight loss surgical treatment called Lap-Band System, Hecel has changed her life from being fat to fabulous in just less than a year.

Hecel has been waging a long, hard fight with unwanted weight. It seems she's born with it: her family has a history of obesity, which is also evident in her mother and brother. Recognizing her potential to be obese, Hecel's mother enrolled her in a special gym program as a child, but it was soon discontinued and the young Hecel doubled in weight.

In college, Hecel ballooned drastically, so much so that her waistline was pegged at 40-plus inches. Because of her size, she could not buy the clothes she wanted. A self-confessed fashion aficionado, she instead had the hottest clothes and shoes custom-made so she won't be left behind with current fashion trends.

However, her weight would take its toll from time to time: climbing the stairs became increasingly difficult, bending down to pick up things was a struggle, and walking even became a tedious activity. She has tried everything to lose excess weight, from dieting to taking slimming pills. She almost lost hope when nothing worked, thinking she cannot escape heredity - that is, until six months ago when she decided to take the challenge, conquer her fear and take control of her life.

"My sister's OB Gyne recommended that I should try the Lap-Band System, but I was afraid of surgery," Hecel says. "The doctor then asked me to consult Dr. Edward Oliveros of St. Luke's Medical Center, who is one of the bariatric surgeons of the BIB & Lap-Band Center, to enlighten me about the procedure. Dr. Oliveros assured me that the Lap-Band System, which is the gold standard of bariatric surgery, is the safest weight loss surgery that does not require stomach-stapling or cutting of the intestines like some other weight loss options. The Lap-Band could also be adjusted if I wanted to have a baby."

When Hecel walked into Dr. Oliveros' clinic, the internationally trained surgeon described her as shy, introverted and embarrassed about her size. He classified her as a Type 3 Obese based on her body mass index (BMI). The BMI is used to determine the level of obesity by dividing the patient's weight in kilograms by his height in meters squared. People with a BMI of 25 to 29 are considered overweight; those with a BMI of 30 to 34 are Type 1 Obese, while those with a BMI of 35 to 39 are Type 2 Obese. On other hand, those with BMI 40 and above are Type 3 Obese.

Obesity is described as an excess of total body fat, which results from caloric intake that exceeds energy usage. When one reaches a BMI of 40 and above, he or she is already morbidly obese, a condition that poses a great health risk that could result in physical disability that can lead to early death.

A World Health Organization report disclosed that Asians are more susceptible to obesity complications such as Type 2 diabetes, even among younger patients, because they usually have a higher level of body fat, and a lower level of muscularity for every level of BMI compared to Caucasians. The report further noted that Asians need not reach a BMI of 35 or 40 before they would start to develop metabolic diseases associated to obesity. At a BMI of 27.5, Filipinos, based on the Food and Research Institute survey, start to become high risk to develop these associated medical problems.

Today, more than 1 billion people worldwide are overweight, of which 300 million are obese. An estimated 115 million obesity sufferers is seen to develop serious health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea, hypertension, severe knee and back pain, cancer and metabolic syndrome that may cause sudden unexplained death. In the Philippines, there is an estimated 3 million Filipinos suffering from obesity, of which 600 thousand are morbidly obese.

From Morbidly Obese to Ideal Normal Weight in 8 months

And with Hecel's height of 5' 8" and weight of 275 pounds, she had a BMI of 41.8 and was already experiencing the health risks associated with the disease such as diabetes and hypertension. But thanks to the Lap-Band surgery, she has now effectively inched herself out not only from the social stigma associated with morbid obesity but more importantly, from the dangers of the disease.

"It's more difficult to bring down a patient's weight from Obese Type 3," says Dr. Oliveros, one of the first bariatric surgeons in the country and a member of the American Society of Bariatric Surgery (ASBS), American College of Surgeons (ACS), and the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES). "But with Hecel, her weight reduction was fast. We were able to bring her down from Type 3 Obese to just slightly overweight in only half a year with the Lap-Band, and now she is maintaining an ideal normal weight. Hecel is definitely a champion in her own right."

Dr. Oliveros was part of a team who had performed bariatric surgery in the Philippines in 2002. He was trained at the famous Mayo Clinic in the U.S. for bariatric surgery and at the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York for laparoscopic bariatric (weight loss) surgery. He also underwent further training at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center also in the U.S. Dr. Oliveros and another renowned bariatric surgeon in the country, Dr. Ferdinand Samonte of Asian Hospital and De Los Santos Medical Center, both had the privilege to train under world-renowned Lap-Band surgeon Prof. Paul O'Brien in Melbourne, Australia.

Currently weighing only 141 lbs and maintaining it well, Hecel had averaged a weight loss of 6 to 14 lbs regularly per week since her surgery in July 2006. She is now one of the growing number of successful Lap-Band patients in the country since the medical breakthrough technology was introduced locally a couple of years ago.

As its name connotes, the Lap-Band is an adjustable gastric banding system that is attached to the upper part of the stomach. Its silicone elastomer band, when filled with saline solution, creates a small pouch and a calibrated opening to the rest of the stomach, permitting only small amounts of food to pass and thus making the stomach hold less food and inducing the patient to feel full.

Why fad diets fail

Prof. Paul O'Brien of Monash University Medical School in Australia in his recent clinical study reports that Lap-Band patients can effectively lose as much as 87% of their excess weight in two years. He recruited 80 patients who were on average 52 lbs over a healthy weight. Half of the patients had the Lap-Band while the other half followed a medical program that included a variety of strategies such as a very-low-calorie diet (500 calories a day) with liquid meal replacements, prescription weight-loss medication and behavioral therapies. At the end of the two-year study, the dieters had regained much of their lost weight while the ones who had the Lap-Band were able to keep the lost weight off. To date, more than 250,000 Lap-Band patients worldwide have benefited from sustained weight loss and reduced health risks associated with obesity ultimately enhancing their quality of life.

"Among the good things about the Lap-Band is that it doesn't restrict you from eating many of the food that you like. The only thing you have to watch are the empty calories meaning food that are not nutritious but contain a lot of calories such as junk food," Hecel says.

"A person needs certain levels of calories everyday to maintain normal body functions," Dr. Oliveros explains. "For a normal adult, you only need around 2,000 calories a day. If you keep it that way, you will basically maintain a normal healthy weight.

" He adds: "The reason why many of the diet fads don't work is that they tell you to avoid proteins, carbohydrates or fats, but these are also needed by the body to maintain normal body functions. If you withhold proteins, carbohydrates or fats for a long period of time, you can develop serious health problems."

Exercise likewise plays a key role in maintaining weight after Lap-Band surgery. Two weeks after her operation, Hecel was enrolled in a gym where she did treadmill exercises. After one month, she was allowed to perform more strenuous exercises such as lifting weights, running or jumping.

Hecel is scheduled for a follow up check up with Dr. Oliveros once every three months during the first year after her surgery. Her weight loss from being a Type 3 Obese to a BMI 21 in just eight months has been remarkable, and she is currently on her ideal normal weight. For now, she is happy that she made the decision to take the change her life and take control of her weight problem. The then shy, morbidly obese 28-year-old entrepreneur has now turned into a physically-fit, confident, outgoing woman who no longer worries about her figure and what other people think of her.

Dr. Oliveros himself can likewise attest to the changes that have happened in Hecel's life after her Lap-Band surgery. "Her face has become thinner and her neck smaller. Her chances of conceiving a child are now better than when she was obese. She's young and now that she's regular-sized, she can look forward to a healthy and happy life."

The LAP-BAND: A band above the rest

"A superior product such as the Lap-Band is an extension of a good surgical procedure. There are other adjustable gastric bandings that not only produce insufficient weight loss, but other bands also pose as health hazards and it is our responsibility to inform the public about that with data from scientific journals," says Mr. Bom Chan, Head of Obesity Solutions of the BIB & LAP-BAND CENTER. "Safety and effectiveness should be the primary consideration when discussing about bariatric or weight loss procedures. Other adjustable gastric bandings and bariatric procedures that involve stomach-stapling and cutting of the intestines could not measure up to the safety and excellent performance of the Lap-Band System," he adds. "Whether a Lap-Band patient loses weight fast like Hecel or slower does not really matter a lot, what really matters is weight loss that is sustained with lasting results. Losing the weight and keeping it off," Mr. Chan concludes.

"I can now fit into any clothes that I like," Hecel proudly declares. "Before, an extra large t-shirt or an XXL wouldn't fit me. Now, it's so easy to shop for clothes. My waistline has shrunk, too, from 55 inches to just 27. I am now more confident to buy clothes in boutiques and nice shops because I know I their clothes can fit me already. What's more, I'm confident to go out now to meet people and make new friends. The people around me are all very happy with the new "me" and I have never felt better in my whole life!"

The Lap-Band System is one of the revolutionary obesity treatments being offered at the BIB & LAP-BAND CENTER at the Medical Plaza Makati, the first and only obesity-information center established in the country. Launched in April last year, the center is a walk-in information hub on the latest trends in weight loss and severe obesity treatment. The center provides a comprehensive databank which includes product literature, clinical dossier, video and audio materials and web access, all dealing with obesity solutions.

The information center prides itself of consultants and bariatric surgeons who have in-depth knowledge of obesity and its underlying problems. Patients can talk to them as they would to a friend, thanks to the center's easy and relaxed atmosphere, comfortable furniture and patient-friendly layout. Aside from educating patients on how they accumulated fat over the years, the BIB & LAP-BAND CENTER also helps them find ways to go about their weight problems and present the best available weight loss solutions when various diet and exercise regimens have failed.

Aside from the Lap-Band, the center also offers information on another breakthrough weight loss procedure, the BIB, or the BioEnterics Intragastric Balloon. This is a 20-minute non-surgical and non-pharmacological procedure that entails placing a silicone balloon in the stomach through the mouth and then filling it with 400 ml to 700 ml of sterile saline. Like the Lap-Band, the BIB System induces a feeling of early fullness in the patient, making him eat less. The BIB stays inside the patient's stomach for six months, during which the patient will see right away a significant loss in weight.

While the Lap-Band is the only US Food and Drug Administration-approved adjustable gastric banding that has 100% market share in the U.S. and 80% market share world-wide, the BIB System, with more than 100,000 procedures performed world-wide, is widely used in Brazil, Mexico, South America and all over Asia and Europe. Both obesity intervention procedures have not only appeared in health, beauty and lifestyle magazines, but are also supported by more than 700 scientific articles, and promoted by ministries of health of governments that are serious in fighting fatal illnesses resulting from obesity-related health problems.

Hecel's advice to people still struggling with obesity: "Don't surrender to obesity. Take control of your life today by finding out more about the Lap-Band and the BIB System. If I can succeed, so can you."

To know more about the BIB & LAP-BAND CENTER/Total Obesity Solutions, call (632) 886-4673, or text 0917-LAPBAND (5272263). Interested parties may wish to schedule for a private and discreet free patient info session/seminar at Suite LP06 (21st floor), Medical Plaza Building, Amorsolo corner De La Rosa Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City. The information center is open at 10am to 6pm, Mondays to Fridays, and 10am to 3pm on Saturdays. Regional patient info seminars are also conducted upon special request. For those who enjoy surfing the web, they can visit www.bibasia.info and www.lapbandasia.com where they can also find the contact details of Dr. Edward Oliveros at lapbandasia.com's surgeon spotlight.

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