shortening lifespan.
The reality television series "The Biggest Loser" demonstrates that a change in lifestyle to include exercise and calorie restriction under medical supervision works. Although contestants spend their days dieting and exercising, those same results can be achieved without appearing on national television by working with a bariatric physician who is trained in weight loss protocol.
Surgical procedures to aid in weight loss have been available for approximately 20 years and have become progressively safer. Two common surgical procedures are the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and the Lap-Band, which restricts what the stomach can hold. A new procedure, the gastric sleeve, removes 75 percent of the stomach and is permanent.
