TACOMA, Wash., April 4, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Extremely overweight men and women who wonder whether weight-loss surgery is right for them can learn more about this treatment option from the comfort of their homes on Tuesday, April 26, by participating in a free online seminar hosted by Franciscan Health System and its Northwest Center for Weight Management.
The interactive, educational Web-based event will be underway from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. (Pacific Time).
It will feature Eugene Cho, MD, a Franciscan surgeon who performs surgical weight-loss procedures; Lynda Rider, a registered nurse and Franciscan community health educator; and Sherry McKay, who underwent weight-loss surgery four years ago. They will provide information and answer questions about the benefits of weight-loss surgery, the risk factors, the requirements that surgery candidates must meet, and life after surgery.
To register, go to www.FHShealth.org and click on the homepage icon called "Weight Loss Programs." April 25 is the registration deadline.
"Our goal is to help people better understand surgical weight loss so they can make informed decisions about whether surgery is the best option for themselves," says Ms. Rider, who hosts regular health seminars in Tacoma and nearby communities.
In the U.S, obesity has developed at an epidemic rate during the past 20 years, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports. Approximately 127 million of the nation's adults are considered overweight, with 60 million of those being obese and another nine million people classified as severely obese, according to some official counts.
Obesity is the second-leading cause of preventable death in the nation. Medical experts warn that severely overweight individuals are at a higher risk for complex health problems such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and a variety of respiratory ailments.
The Franciscan Northwest Center for Weight Management, in Federal Way, Wash., is the leading regional resource for people who are seeking medical and surgical options for shedding weight safely and keeping it off for their rest of their lives. The center can be reached toll-free at 1-800-823-6525.
Through its free online seminar on April 26, Franciscan will use the newest generation of Internet technology to provide the participants with convenient, real-time access to potentially life-saving medical information about weight-loss surgery.
Franciscan Health System is a not-for-profit organization that includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way and St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, Wash.