Dear Marie
I believe that gastric bypass surgery can be very successful in patients who are massively obese (need to lose 20 of more kg) and have tried a sensible diet and exercise with no results. I attended the 1st Obesity Congress in SA awhile ago and excellent results were reported for bypass ops. However, anyone considering such an operation should keep in mind that it is a major op and involves anaesthesia, both of which are associated with risks including death. The aftereffects of such ops are also not always easy to handle - flatulence, abdominal pain, repeated diarrhoea, need to take amino acid and vitamin supplements for the rest of your life, tiredness and lack of energy, etc. Most medical aids also do not pay for such ops unless the surgeon can motivate that the patient needs the op to save their life because their obesity is threatening their life and health. These ops are also very expensive. So do sit down with the surgeon and discuss every aspect in detail before you have such an op.
Best regards
DietDoc