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About two-thirds of the US population is overweight and more than 50 million people are obese. In the world, more than 2.5 million deaths annually can be attributed to obesity; in the United States, over 400,000, second only to cigarette smoking(Buchwald, J Am Coll Surgery, 2005).

Obesity is classified according to Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI expresses the relationship between weight and height and is calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared.

BMI =	weight (kg)
	height (m2)

The medical implications of obesity include, but are not limited, to the following:

Diabetes Hypertension Lipid disorders Heart Disease Asthma Sleep Apnea Gallstones NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis) Urinary incontinence Gastroesophageal reflux Osteoarthritis and gout

Infertility and menstrual problems Obstetric complications Low back pain DVT & thromboembolism Depression Immobility Cancer (breast, colorectal, prostate, endometrial, etc) Venous/stasis ulcers Skin infections Intertrigo Accident proneness

Weight loss (bariatric) surgery may be the solution for people suffering from severe obesity and related health conditions. Studies demonstrate that bariatric surgery, as compared to non-surgical treatments, yields the longest period of sustained weight loss in patients who have failed using other therapies.

Bariatric surgery can also potentially cure numerous medical diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and hypertension.

If you have any questions about weight loss surgery and our support program, please call us at (206) 368-1350, or send us an email.