Weight Loss

By The Marketing Department at Manatee Physicians Alliance
| 12:00 a.m. December 10, 2020

Health

“Dr. Rekkas and the weight-loss team are still checking in on me!” Jenny Rodriguez says, one year after having gastric sleeve surgery at Manatee Memorial Hospital.

When Diet and Exercise Are Not Enough

Weight-Loss Surgery Offers a Jumpstart to Success

The key to maintaining a healthy weight is all about lifestyle. Optimal sleep, reduced stress, healthy eating and physical exercise all play an important part.* But sometimes even trying everything your doctor recommends to lose weight may not be enough. Indeed, 42 percent of adults in the United States are considered obese.**

Jenny Rodriguez tried to keep her weight off for many years, only to gain every pound back, “superfast,” she says. Prior to turning to Manatee Weight Loss Center (MWLC) for help, she was diagnosed with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and sleep apnea and suffered chronic pain in her feet and knees.

It was only after having robotic sleeve gastrectomy (“gastric sleeve”) surgery at Manatee Memorial Hospital that she felt she was on a road to success. Leading up to surgery, she consulted with a nutritionist and a psychologist and received an intensive education on healthy-eating habits and exercise from the MWLC dietitian. She also connected with a support group.

“I felt as if I was being gifted with a lifechanging opportunity,” she says of the procedure.

“The surgery helped me to finally take the steps toward becoming a healthy person. My advice to others on a similar journey is to make the necessary adjustments, commit to the process, and believe in yourself.”

“The surgery is just a first step. It’s the patient who makes the difference in their own life when they commit to using the lifelong tools we give them to help keep the weight off,” says Stelios Rekkas, MD, FACS, FASMBS, MWLC surgeon and director of the surgical weight loss program at Manatee Memorial Hospital.

Manatee Weight Loss Center Offers a Dedicated Staff and Comprehensive Services

Treatments Include: