Many lose more than 100 - 200 pounds. Some reach a normal weight, while others remain heavy, though less overweight than before. Some surgeons accept patients in their 60's, and some even operate on teenagers. Bariatric surgery is a remedy of last resort, offered only when all else has failed People who meet the definition of morbidly obese, which generally means overweight by 100 pounds or more are considered for the surgery, although you may meet the criteria if you are 80 pounds overweight and have Diabetes, sleep apnea or another life-threatening disease. Alternatively, one study shows that 10 years after the most commonly performed bariatric operation, the gastric bypass, patients on average have maintained a loss of 60 percent of their excess weight.
Successful results depend mainly on motivation and behavior.
Because gastric bypass operations cause food to skip the duodenum, where most iron and calcium are absorbed, there are risks for nutritional deficiencies. Do not always believe everything you hear about bariatric surgery. Talk with people who have undergone the surgery. Also be sure to browse other individual's profiles to learn of their surgery experience. Click here to update .