Free Lecture On Weight-Loss Surgery

WESTPORT — Bridgeport Hospital will sponsor the free lecture “Weight-Loss Surgery: Is It Right for You? Are Your Right for It?” at 7 pm, Tuesday, May 3 at the Westport Inn, 1595 Post Road East. To register, call 888-357-2396.

“If you’re 100 percent or 100 pounds over your ideal weight, even though you’ve stuck to diet and exercise programs, you may be a candidate for weight-loss surgery,” said Daniel Tran, MD, medical director of the Weight Management Center at Bridgeport Hospital. “Yet, to be a good candidate for this procedure, one needs the commitment and motivation to undergo surgery and make the lifelong changes involved.”

In addition to Dr Tran, speakers at the lecture will include psychiatrist Dorothy Zachman, MD, and clinical dietitian Laurie Jordan.

The Weight Management Center at Bridgeport Hospital has been providing weight-loss surgery since early 2003 as well as presurgical physical and behavioral evaluations, and postoperative patient counseling and support.

“It’s estimated that 70 percent of Americans are overweight, and there may be as many as 25,000 people in the Bridgeport area alone who meet the weight criteria for weight-loss surgery,” said Dr Tran. “Prevention — a healthy diet, regular exercise, and other good lifestyle habits — remains the best cure for weight-related health problems, but for those who need special help, surgery may be a viable option.”