Many people waging war in the Battle of the Bulge are coming out on the losing end. As a result, there are a mind-numbing amount of weight-loss systems and products on the market. Trying to find which of these products are useful and which are a waste of time and money is like wading through a field of landmines.

One very promising product, however, is the LAP-BAND Adjustable Gastric Banding System, which helps you gradually lose and control your weight by reducing the amount of food that your stomach can hold at one time. LAP-BAND is available to New Orleans residents at the Surgical Clinic of Louisiana at the West Jefferson Medical Center in Marello, about 15 minutes from downtown New Orleans.

The LAP-BAND, as it is referred to by the general public, is part of a weight-loss procedure that was developed by the Inamed Corporation, who has recently been acquired by Aleergan, Inc. It is specifically designed for the seriously obese who are defined as being 100 lbs. over acceptable medical measurements.

In simple terms, it is a tube that has a collar on one end that is attached around the esophagus just above the stomach. On the other end is a small receptacle that is accessed by the doctor from an incision that is held closed with sutures. The doctor will inject a saline solution into the tube that will cause the collar to constrict the esophagus, thus slowing food flow into the stomach. It’s very similar to the effect you experience when you squeeze a garden hose. The water flow in the hose slows.

It seems our brain and stomach don’t talk at the same speed, so slowing the intake allows for the time necessary for the brain to understand that the stomach has had enough. We all tend to stop eating when we have that full sensation.

The LAP-BAND weight-loss procedure is considered minimally invasive, safe and is an effective weight loss surgery using the most advanced adjustable gastric banding system to date. It has international acceptance and is growing in popularity in the United States as an alternative to laparoscopic surgery and other medically supervised weight control programs. It is a system that is worth discussing with your doctor if you have had lack of success with diets and you qualify as being significantly overweight.