Bariatric Surgery vs. Commercial Diets
Odessa Whitehouse
COM/155
May 26, 2013
Donna Jay

An ABC 20/20 episode in 2012 states that there are about 108 million people on diets in the United States with dieters making four to five attempts at weight loss per year. The video also states that there is approximately $20 billion dollars in annual revenue in the weight loss industry, including diet books, diet drugs, and weight loss surgeries. Even though bariatric surgery is dangerous, it is comparable in cost and effectiveness to commercial diets, with proven, lasting results. According to the Obesity Action Coalition, “obesity is a rising health epidemic in our country”. More than 93 million Americans are affected by obesity, with an estimated 9 million considered severely obese. Over two-thirds (68.8 percent) of adults are considered to be overweight. Overweight is defined as more than normal in body weight after adjustment for height, body build, and age, or 10% to 20% above the person’s ideal weight, or having a body mass index (BMI) between 25.0 and 29.9. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) adults are considered severely or morbidly obese. The prevalence of obesity is similar for both men and women (about 36 percent). About 3 of every 4 men are considered overweight or obese. Approximately 8 percent of women are considered severely or morbidly obese. Obesity is defined as an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual’s ideal body weight, whereas, severe or morbid obesity is defined as a person who is 100% over their ideal weight for their height, gender, and age.
Severe or morbid obesity is a chronic condition that is hard to combat with diet and exercise alone. Bariatric surgery is a safe and effective operation that helps severely obese patients who cannot lose weight by other means or who suffer from serious health problems