Obesity and weight loss treatment and surgeries are generally only an option for people who are more than 100 pounds overweight. Most physicians will first suggest a wide variety of treatments such as behavior modification, dieting, and exercise. Sometimes, a doctor will prescribe medications. When these fail, surgery is an option for those who have not responded to such treatments and who are severely obese.
Surgical procedures are generally divided into three categories: malabsorption, restrictive, and mixed, or combination. The type of surgery any patient will undergo will depend on how much weight needs to be lost. Lap banding and gastric bypass (gastric
bariatric surgery) are two of the most common surgeries.