Diet surgery or weight loss surgery, has been in the news and talk shows. Many people are unable to follow a weight loss diet and have had their stomach stapled. Why would anyone choose to do that? Most of us would never seriously consider diet surgery or weight loss surgery. For most people who are moderately overweight, using common weight loss programs including diet and exercise is a much better solution.

A few people, though, try everything and still find weight loss is impossible for them. Obesity is a serious health problem, and for these people, losing weight can be a matter of life or death. Obesity increases your chances of heart attacks and developing diabetes. Both of which can be deadly. So if you are extremely overweight and have tried every diet program out there, consider discussing diet surgery with your doctor.

What exactly is weight loss surgery and how does it work? Diet surgery forces you to reduce the amount of food and calories you consume. There are 2 common types. The first kind of diet surgery makes the stomach cavity smaller, reducing the amount of food it can hold. You quickly feel full, and don't eat as much. The second kind of weight loss surgery bypasses the small intestine, which is where most of the fat and calories are absorbed. If you don't absorb the food, you won't gain weight. The downside is that you will not absorb as many important nutrients - vitamins and minerals. And although both of these procedures are major surgery, they do not necessarily require a long hospital stay. Some diet surgery is now done laparoscopically through a very small incision.

Since weight loss surgery is risky, most doctors have a strict set of criteria you must meet: "morbidly obese", a serious health or medical reason (for example, diabetes or heart disease) and a willingness to change your lifestyle and habits.

This last item is important for the diet surgery to be successful. You have to make an effort to improve your lifestyle, including following a good weight loss diet. Exercise and good eating habits will be critically important to insure that you stay healthy.

In summary, diet surgery or weight loss surgery can be a very helpful, but only as a last resort. It is not the easy solution that many people hope for. You must be willing to work hard to improve your lifestyle to achieve the results you desire.