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An article from Yahoo News has confirmed what we’ve known for a long time, obesity surgery is a low risk procedure.

From 2005 to 2007 a study focused on 10 US hospitals that specialize in weight loss surgery and found that the risks surrounding obesity surgery have greatly decreased. Considering the long term risk of heart disease and diabetes a medical procedure for weight loss is a much more attractive alternative. In fact, there is a greater risk of dying if you do not have surgical treatment.

Using the body mass index (BMI) calculation, one-third of American adults are obese, a BMI of 30 or more.

“In the past, now outdated bariatric procedures carried unacceptably high risks. The weight loss associated with the procedures was questionable, and the long-term health benefits were unproven,” wrote Dr. Malcolm K Robinson from the Harvard Medical School.

Now, the evidence shows that “surgery is safe, effective, and affordable,” because it can lower doctor visits, medication use and other medical expenses, Robinson wrote. However, “the expense of operating on the millions of potentially eligible obese adults could overwhelm an already financially stressed health care system.”

via Yahoo News