According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, around 49.1% of Americans try to lose weight each year. Being overweight can have many psychological effects on someone, such as lowered self-esteem and increased anxiety. If weight gain is negatively affecting you, maybe you should try gastric sleeve surgery, a surgical procedure that meaningfully reduces the size of your stomach, limiting the amount of food you eat.

Here are four indicators that you might need a gastric sleeve procedure:

1. If Your BMI is 30 or Higher

If your body mass index is below 18.5, you are considered underweight, while a healthy weight range is less than 25. However, you are considered obese if your BMI is above 30. Such a body mass index could be tragic, especially if you have other underlying conditions, such as hypertension or diabetes. Since other weight-loss strategies may not yield results as fast as you wish, gastric sleeve surgery could be your only option.

2. If You Have Weight-Related Health Problems

If your weight does not cause other medical conditions, you can try other weight loss techniques. However, a high body mass index causes a wide variety of obesity-related conditions, such as cancers, osteoarthritis, hypertension, diabetes, gallbladder diseases, and breathing problems, especially sleep apnea. You will be surprised how these conditions will disappear or improve after gastric sleeve surgery.

3. If Lifestyle Changes Are Not Working

If you are obese, the doctor will recommend lifestyle changes. For instance, you might be advised to be physically active by walking to work or exercising regularly. Moreover, you might be advised to adjust your diet by eating more weight-loss-friendly foods. In some instances, lifestyle adjustments may not help, making you even more desperate to lose weight, which may leave you highly depressed.  Instead of getting anxious over it, you should talk to your doctor about the likelihood of undergoing a gastric sleeve procedure.

4. If Your Appetite is Wanting

Unless obesity is genetic, it is closely linked to poor eating habits. Even when some people want to lose weight, they always find themselves eating too much. What do you do when you are already obese, and your appetite is uncontrollable? You should probably try gastric sleeve surgery. This procedure is known to lower the production of ghrelin, a hunger hormone responsible for one's urge to eat. During the surgery, much of the stomach part that produces the hormone is removed, significantly lowering one's appetite.

The Bottom Line

What do you do when your weight significantly threatens your mobility, health, and overall quality of life? What do you do when all other weight loss strategies aren't working? It would be best if you talked to your doctor about gastric sleeve surgery.