Recently, a number of high-profile celebrities, from TV weatherman Al Roker to American Idol’s Randy Jackson, have made headlines as a result of undergoing weight loss surgery. Supporters of such surgery say that it offers hope for people who seem unable to lose weight any other way. They maintain that it is difficult to lose 50 or more pounds without surgical intervention. Critics, however, maintain that surgery—especially stomach surgery—is risky business and should be approached with the utmost caution. They worry that surgery is a quick fix which does not help to resolve an individual’s problem dealing with food.

You might wonder under what conditions surgery would be recommended. Generally speaking, surgery is only an option for those who have suffered from obesity for a protracted period of time (meaning years), have a body mass index or BMI of more than 40, and whose lives could be cut short because of their excessive weight gain. Also, stomach stapling surgery is usually limited to those who have already reached adulthood. (more…)