Approximately 350,000 people die each year from illnesses due to, or made worse by, obesity. In fact, obesity is one of the leading causes of death in the United States today. There are no pharmacologic or behavioral treatments known that provide reliable long term weight loss for morbid obesity.

On the other hand, surgery has been shown to reduce or eliminate most of the co-morbid conditions associated with morbid obesity.  It also extends a patients lifespan.  In addition, studies indicate that patients who have undergone surgical weight loss are more likely to keep their weight off long term compared to those who lose weight through diet, exercise, or medication alone.