There are literally hundreds of diets available. Moving from diet to diet in a cycle of weight gain and loss - yo-yo dieting - that stresses the heart, kidneys and other organs can also be a health risk.

Doctors who prescribe and supervise diets for their patients usually create a customized program with the goal of greatly restricting calorie intake while maintaining nutrition.

These diets fall into two basic categories:

• Low Calorie Diets (LCDs) are individually planned so that the patient takes in 500 to 1,000 fewer calories a day than he or she burns.
• Very Low Calorie Diets (VLCDs) typically limit caloric intake to 400 to 800 a day and feature high-protein, low-fat liquids.

Many patients on Very Low Calorie Diets lose significant amounts of weight. However, after returning to a normal diet, most regain the lost weight within a year. Ninety percent of people participating in all diet programs will regain the weight they've lost within two years.

Behavior modification uses therapy to help patients change their eating and exercise habits. Diet and behavior modification will be instrumental to sustained obtimum fitness levels and weight loss. The surgery itself is only a tool to get your body started losing weight

Banner Health's Physician Referral Services can provide you with information on physicians who practice at Banner hospitals specializing in nutrition.  You may access this information by calling (602) 230-2273 or 1-800-230-CARE and pressing option #1 (Monday - Friday between 8:00AM and 4:30PM) to speak with a physician referral representative.