Here are the facts:

1. Morbid obesity is a chronic condition with many associated diseases.
2. Diets don't work in the long run, but you probably know this already. Research shows that only 5% of morbidly obese patients who lost weight through diet and exercise programs are able to maintain that weight loss for the rest of their lives.
3. Medical experts concur that surgery is the only sure way to lose weight permanently. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidelines state that surgery is the most effective weight loss method and the ONLY approach to result in significant and long-term weight loss.
4. Permanent weight loss will cure or improve most obesity-associated diseases including: diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, high cholesterol/lipids and stress incontinence.
5. Patients who achieve long-term weight loss through bariatric surgery reduce their relative risk of cancer by 80% and their relative risk of death by 89%.