UC Irvine’s Dr. Ninh Nguyen discusses trends in bariatric surgery

IN THE NEWS: National Public Radio in Boston interviewed Dr. Ninh T. Nguyen about his study Trends in Bariatric Surgery, 2003−2008. Nguyen is the chief of the division of gastrointestinal surgery at UC Irvine Medical Center.

The story questions why, if Americans continue to gain weight in this obesity epidemic, the number of people getting bariatric surgery peaked in 2004 and has remained relatively flat ever since. It addressed the increased safety of bariatric surgery, lifestyle modification and resolution of diabetes. Nguyen drove home the point that such surgery is a tool that acts as a “jumpstart” so people can keep the weight off.

“Try to exercise when you’re 300 pounds, it’s just not an easy task,” Nguyen says. “Bariatric surgery gives them that edge to begin to do everything they need to do to keep the weight off.”