ABSTRACT
Bariatric surgery has finally been recognized as the only treatment for morbid obesity with successful outcomes in long-term follow-up. Although the ultimate solution for treatment of this disease may involve metabolic or genetic manipula tions, currently no such treatments generate weight loss results and improvements in medical co-morbid conditions which compare to surgical treatment. However, despite successful outcomes and published low complication rates in major centers, bariatric surgery is often viewed by the public and prospective patients as a drastic, invasive, and high risk solution. The American public does not uniformly embrace the surgical treatment option for morbidly obese patients. Letters to People magazine, even in the aftermath of celebrity Carnie Wilsons highly successful gastric bypass surgery, sadly reveal the altogether too frequent prejudice and innuendo about lazi ness, sloth, and below average intelligence that sufferers of morbid obesity must endure as once again the public demonstrates that they do not understand obesity and are unsympathetic to its victims.
