My mom had a bariatric surgery; at the same time, I started my own weight loss effort based on her post-op regimen. She had to put in a lot more work than I did, and I was no slacker (90 lbs in 15 months). She just had to lose a lot more to be healthy, and the impact of her weight on her overall health meant that she couldn’t exercise effectively and had a swiftly increasing risk for heart disease. She struggled with establishing and maintaining healthy habits for 25 years (she was a physical education teacher, if that gives you any idea of her commitment to health) and eventually surgery was the only feasible option.

It was never an easy way out. After seeing what my mom went through, I think surgery can be harder than natural weight loss, when the patient makes a really serious effort. My mom had to follow a much more rigorous, exacting diet and exercise regimen than any normal, natural weight loss programs. Natural weight loss requires no surgical procedure or expense, no recuperation pain/time off/expense/complications, no mortality risk, no subsequent surgeries to deal with excessive loose skin or hernias, and no risk of other negative physical side effects like becoming violently ill if you “cheat” even just a little bit. Surgery can involve all of that *plus* all the same exercise, dietary, and other life changes for natural weight loss.

The true medically-endorsed reason to go through bariatric surgery instead of natural weight loss is that the latter solution is no longer feasible and the negative health effects of waiting for a natural approach to take hold exceeded the additional risks for surgery. Don’t believe everything you see on TV.