When we hear all the success stories of the gastric bypass, it sounds so easy. One pricey operation and the pounds just fly off! Right? Not quite. Gastric bypass surgery is only advised to those who are morbidly obese - this is someone with a body mass index greater then 40 and men and women between 80-100 pounds their ideal body weight.

The gastric bypass is also sometimes recommended to patients suffering obesity along with other conditions such as heart disease or type 2 diabetes. If the surgeon is happy the health benefits outweigh the possible side effects of gastric bypass surgery then it maybe recommended.

If you're currently obese and suffering no other conditions, I would personally think about big lifestyle changes, both in diet and exercise. I know it's a tough, long haul but with the right support it's possible to lose over 1lb/week safely and effectively. That's over 60 pounds of weight loss in 6 months. You must considering the risks involved in the gastric bypass surgery, because even with the surgery you will still be required to follow a rigid diet that you certainly aren't going to like at first.

Try to be objective about all forms of weight loss and weight up your options. There are many success stories out there on the gastric bypass and its beneficial to many people but please always remain open to the basics of weight loss.

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Article by Beverley Brooke, visit the section on the gastric bypass for more on the gastric bypass