Severe obesity is a chronic condition that is very difficult to treat.
Surgery to promote weight loss by restricting food intake or interrupting digestive processes is an option for severely obese people. However, as in other treatments for obesity, successful results depend mainly on motivation and behavior. The Normal Digestive Process Normally, as food moves along the digestive tract , appropriate digestive juices and enzymes arrive at the right place at the right time to digest and absorb calories and nutrients. After we chew and swallow our food, it moves down the esophagus to the stomach, where a strong acid continues the digestive process. The stomach can hold about 3 pints of food at one time.