Weight loss surgery can be very effective. However, weight loss surgery is not for everyone. Only individuals who are obese and have a BMI of 40 or more are good candidates for weight loss surgery. Another group of people who have a BMI of 35 or more, who happen to have serious health concerns like high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease, will also qualify for weight loss surgery.

Those who are severely overweight who have tried numerous diets and exercise programs, only to fail, will get great benefit from weight loss surgery. Weight loss surgery is a viable means for achieving a significant weight loss. People who are afflicted with obesity have a harder time losing the extra weight because their body’s metabolism usually gets out of whack. They can diet and exercise all they want but will see very little weight loss. If individuals do manage to lose a significant amount of weight they are at a risk to gain it all back and then some. Having weight loss surgery is much more effective means for taking the weight off and keeping it off for some individuals.

The success rate for long term weight loss is evident with weight loss surgery. Individuals who undergo a lap band procedure have proven they can maintain their weight loss, even years later. However, individuals who undergo weight loss surgery need to make a commitment to change their diet and exercise habits. They have to be really serious about losing the weight and keeping it off.

People who have weight loss surgery can lose as much as 70% of their body weight within the first three years. People who choose lap-band surgery can loose weight rapidly during the first 12 months and then it slows a little. Once the patient has lost 50% of their body weight and keeps it off for 5 years the surgery is considered a success. The patient must make some important lifestyle changes to achieve this goal.