There has been an overall increase in the number of people who have been diagnosed with being overweight and obese.  These two weight problems are generally the result of a person's inability to use or expend energy that is gained through food consumption.  Specifically, the number of calories consumed by a person is not used up and are stored in the body as fat.

Use of stored energy or calories is often done through normal physical activity, normal metabolism, or exercise. To provide contrast, obesity is defined as being overweight and fat in such a way that these condition already pose a health risk.

Being overweight, on the other hand, means that a person is above the generally accepted weight measurement for a certain age, sex, and height.

Obesity can also derive from the genes of the person, his metabolism, behavior, environment, culture, lifestyle, and economic status. All these factors contribute to being overweight and obese. This condition does not only affect the person's self confidence, but is at risk of other hazardous health illnesses such as Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, heart disease, and hypertension, among others.

Due to this, a number of weight loss programs have been established to help and support overweight patients in decreasing their overall body weight. These programs ensure weight loss through dietary plans suited according to the person's lifestyle and eating habits, together with dietary supplements and regular exercises. Today, these weight loss programs are now more flexible than before. Meals are attractive and can often be prepared in a matter of minutes. Low-fat and low-calorie foods are now available in supermarkets, which is very convenient.

Unfortunately for some, their body weight can be already reach a very alarming rate that such weight loss programs would be of no help at all. This occurs when a person seems to be very overweight and could not lose pounds by having a healthy diet and exercise. If this is the case, then surgery might be an option for that person. Weight loss surgery is usually for men who are at least one hundred pounds overweight and women who are at least eighty pounds heavier than that which is allowed or within  “healthy limits.” If the person has diabetes, heart disease, or sleep apnea but is not excessively  overweight, surgery can still be an option. By having weight loss surgery, a person would already have a physical limits to the amount of food he or she can consume.  

Gathering all the necessary information about the various surgical options would be the most important step in weight loss surgery. Researching through the Internet, and asking previous patients who have done surgery can also help a person in knowing what to expect before, during, and after surgery. Although the results of the surgery can be drastic, there are also potential risks and complications that go with the procedure. This includes bleeding, infections, deep vein thrombosis, marginal ulcers, spleen injury, and stenosis, among others. It is critical that these factors are thoroughly discussed with the doctor, to make sure that the weight loss surgery would not harm the patient.

The effectiveness of the surgery will depend on several factors including the patient's age, the weight before surgery, the overall condition of the patient's health, the surgical procedure itself, the patient's ability to exercise, the commitment in maintaining dietary guidelines and other follow-up care, and the motivation of the patient and cooperation of their family members, friends and associates as well. By talking to other people who have experienced this kind of surgery, one can fully understand what one needs to know and make the right decision that one can be comfortable with.