Effective weight loss was achieved in morbidly obese patients after undergoing  bariatric surgery .
A substantial majority of patients with diabetes , hyperlipidemia , hypertension , and obstructive sleep apnea experienced complete resolution or improvement
CONTEXT About 5 % of the US population is morbidly obese .
This disease remains largely refractory to diet and drug therapy , but generally responds well to bariatric surgery .
OBJECTIVE To determine the impact of bariatric surgery on weight loss , operative mortality outcome , and 4  obesity  comorbidities ( diabetes , hyperlipidemia , hypertension , and obstructive sleep apnea ) .
The spread of the obesity epidemic in the United States, 1991-1998.
CONTEXT The increasing prevalence of obesity is a major public health concern , since obesity is associated with several chronic diseases . OBJECTIVE To monitor trends in state-specific data and to examine changes in the prevalence of obesity among adults . DESIGN Cross-sectional r and om-digit telephone survey ( Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System ) of noninstitutionalized adults aged 18 years or older conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments from 1991 to 1998 . SETTING States that participated in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Body mass index calculated from self-reported weight and height . RESULTS The prevalence of obesity ( defined as a body mass index > or = 30 kg/m2 ) increased from 12.0 % in 1991 to 17.9 % in 1998 . A steady increase was observed in all states ; in both sexes ; across age groups , races , educational levels ; and occurred regardless of smoking status . The greatest magnitude of increase was found in the following groups : 18- to 29-year-olds ( 7.1 % to 12.1 % ) , those with some college education ( 10.6 % to 17.8 % ) , and those of Hispanic ethnicity ( 11.6 % to 20.8 % ) . The magnitude of the increased prevalence varied by region ( ranging from 31.9 % for mid Atlantic to 67.2 % for South Atlantic , the area with the greatest increases ) and by state ( ranging from 11.3 % for Delaware to 101.8 % for Georgia , the state with the greatest increases ) . CONCLUSIONS Obesity continues to increase rapidly in the United States . To alter this trend , strategies and programs for weight maintenance as well as weight reduction must become a higher public health priority
Effective weight loss was achieved in morbidly obese patients after undergoing  bariatric surgery .
A substantial majority of patients with diabetes , hyperlipidemia , hypertension , and obstructive sleep apnea experienced complete resolution or improvement
CONTEXT About 5 % of the US population is morbidly obese .
This disease remains largely refractory to diet and drug therapy , but generally responds well to bariatric surgery .
OBJECTIVE To determine the impact of bariatric surgery on weight loss , operative mortality outcome , and 4  obesity  comorbidities ( diabetes , hyperlipidemia , hypertension , and obstructive sleep apnea ) .