Some weight-loss surgery programs have groups you can attend before and after surgery to help answer questions about the surgery and offer support.

Occasionally, gastric sleeve surgery is done if you’re overweight but don’t meet the criteria for obesity, but you have a significant health condition related to your weight.

The type of weight loss surgery that’s best for each individual will always come down to discussions with one’s doctor, as well as considerations around other medical conditions and an individual’s willingness to undergo such a life-altering procedure.

Likeability. A plan should include foods you like and that you would enjoy eating for life. If you don't like the food on the plan, if the plan is too restrictive or if it becomes boring, you probably won't stick to it. So long-term weight loss is unlikely.

The part of your stomach that produces ghrelin — a hormone that’s associated with hunger — has been removed, so you’re not as hungry.

The dietitian will explain what and how much you will be able to eat and drink after surgery and help you prepare for how your life will change after surgery.

Open surgery, which involves a single, large cut in the abdomen, may be a better option than laparoscopic surgery for certain people. You may need open surgery if you have a high level of obesity, had stomach surgery before, or have other complex medical problems.

Other qualifying criteria include your BMI and whether you have any obesity-related health conditions.

This device slows food down as it leaves the stomach and enters the small intestine. This device is intended to be used temporarily, for up to 12 months, while you participate in a diet and exercise fast weight loss with surgery program. The device is then removed.

Coronary bypass surgery is a type of surgery where the chest is opened and surgery is performed on the heart. It’s used to bypass – or ‘get around’ - the narrowed or blocked sections of your coronary arteries.

You may need bypass surgery if you’ve been diagnosed with coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease is when your coronary arteries (which move blood to the heart) get narrowed or blocked by a build-up of fatty material within their walls.

Alcohol or drug abuse – not surprisingly, substance abusers are more likely to revert back to their old habits following surgery. Plus, some patients begin to abuse alcohol and drugs after bariatric surgery, in effect, replacing

Rapid weight loss diets are often not sustainable. Instead, learn about eating and lifestyle changes to safely lose weight fast.

Join and participate in a good weight loss surgery support group – weight loss surgery patients who actively participate in