ABSTRACT
Obesity is of epidemic proportions in the United States and in the world. In 20092010, 35.5% of adult males and 35.8% of adult females in the United States met the criteria for obesity (body mass index, BMI > 30 kg/m2).1 Furthermore, the estimated annual U.S. health care expenditure related to the management of obesity and related diseases in 2010 is staggering at $168 billion dollars, accounting for approximately 16.5% of total health care cost.2 Given the magnitude of this problem, physicians, surgeons, and scientists are working diligently to effectively prevent and treat obesity.
