What is bariatric surgery for severe obesity?
Bariatric surgery is an operation that can be done to help you lose weight when other treatments for severe obesity have not worked. The aim of surgery is to change the gastrointestinal (GI) tract so it restricts the amount of food you can eat. It will cause you to feel full more quickly when you eat, which means you will eat less. Severe obesity is defined as the condition of being more than 100 pounds overweight or having a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher. The BMI is a measure of your weight relative to your height. You can find your BMI from a chart. Severe obesity is also sometimes called morbid obesity. Obesity is a serious condition because it increases your risk of poor health and major illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes. Obesity can also affect your relationships, employment, self-esteem and mental health. If you are severely obese, it can be deadly. Surgery to manage obesity may be considered only after careful weighing of the risks and benefit
