FDA considers lowering weight requirement for lapband surgery

[Webmaster]

Allergan, the folks who have given us Botox to smooth wrinkles and freeze smiles, has asked the FDA to drastically lower the qualification weight for lapband surgery. Under the requested reduction to a BMI of 30, a 5'6" woman would now qualify for the surgery at just 190 pounds [see news report (http://abcnews.go.com/Health/WellnessNews/fda-panel-lap-band-expansion/story?id=12296562&page=1)].

If the FDA approves Allergan's request, almost 20 million people will newly become eligible for lapband surgery. At an average cost of almost US$20,000, that's a potential payoff of 400 billion dollars.

Ka-ching. The war on obesity, that dreadful epidemic facing our nation, is sure lucrative. Oh, and the chairwoman of the FDA advisory committee making the determination owns stock in Allergan.

[The Orange Mage]

And of course no additional care is taken for dealing with the non-physical side of things...the emotional and mental part that are so key to the issue. You put that lap-band on without dealing with the underlying issues and you're just treating a symptom, not the cause.

Of course, it's more profitable to treat symptoms than it is causes.

[gangstadawg]

how much you wanna bet they will want to lower it even more and prolly will have gastric bypass have a lower requirment as well.

[Paquito]

Well 190 pounds is practically immobile.

[Miss Vickie]

Eek. This is concerning, particularly the part about Karen Woods, the FDA Chair, having stock in the company. This has the potential to be a serious ethical breach, the last thing the FDA needs.

If they want to increase their patient base, I think what they need to focus on is doing them on people who are higher weight who want them. When I was looking into having WLS and wanted a lap band, none of the local doctors would do them on patients with a high BMI because they claimed that it doesn't work on very fat people. (Frankly I'm not sure the evidence supports this, but I don't think there's much more than anecdotal evidence anyway).

Perhaps if they focus their research on a) finding ways to use the band for people of higher weights successfully and safely, and b) finding ways to minimize some of the bad side effects like intractable vomiting, band slippage, erosion, etc. they'd be providing a better service for their patients.

But I suspect they care less about giving a good service than they do about making more money. :( The unfortunate part is that the FDA is being used to do it.

[bonified]

The powers that be should make 3 months of supervised signed off fitness therapy pre any type of weight loss procedure a compulsory imo, certainly before doin' any invasive surgery. Whether it be water aerobics or gym etc.

But the pharma industries coupled with the fake food producing arses are making way too much money for the politicians to think of true health or anything otherwise.