For the past several years there has been a surgical weight loss method called bariatric surgery. Although bariatric surgery is still not a magical weight loss cure and it isn’t an easy choice for those who are morbidly obese. Rather the surgery is a drastic step that includes both risk and pain just like other gastro-intestinal surgeries. With a bariatric surgery the size of the stomach itself is reduce by a variety of techniques.

Once the surgery is performed an individual can’t eat much during a single meal which can result in dramatic weight loss. In fact an individual can lose up to twenty percent within one to two years. However, many wonder if this significant loss is helpful. When you are obese there are a lot of healths costs involved without undergoing the surgery for the complications that occur such as serious heart problems. While there are also health problems associated with the surgery itself including the risk of death.

Due to the risk of the surgery the National Health Institute has set up standards to help determine if an individual is classified as morbidly obese and able to undergo the surgery. Obesity is typically measured by the body mass index or BMI which divides the weight of an individual in kilograms by their height in meters squared. Those who have a BMI over thirty-five or forty are considered morbidly obese and are at risk of severe health disorders. Therefore, these individuals would qualify for weight loss surgery. Most doctors will also require that an individual have failed earlier attempts at weight loss programs for at least eighteen months before performing the surgery.

Once you meet the NIH standard and your health disorders have been assessed doctors may also choose to check the psychological state of the patient. This would require a consult with a psychiatrist in order to evaluate issues such as familial relationships, body image and addiction. All these issues are then taken into account when the doctor makes the final decision to perform the surgery. Those who often inquire about weight loss surgery often don’t have it done and instead counseling in other weight loss programs is considered instead of the surgery due to the tight legal requirements of the surgery.

One type of weight loss surgery is billiopancreatic diversion in which about three-fourths of the stomach is removed entirely and the rest is connected to the last segment of the small intestine. This surgery has several problems linked to it including loss of bone density and anemia.

Another type is Roux-en Y gastric bypass in which the stomach is sewn or stapled in the upper half creating a smaller stomach. After this surgery the food bypasses since the intestines are connected to the smaller stomach. Weight loss occurs rapidly since the amount of food intake is drastically reduced. This is an invasive form of surgery which requires a long recovery time. However, the success rate for this type of weight loss surgery is high among individuals.