{"id":10757,"date":"2026-02-21T23:53:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T23:53:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drfeiz.com\/?p=10757"},"modified":"2026-02-21T23:53:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T23:53:14","slug":"are-there-risks-to-not-undergoing-bariatric-surgery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drfeiz.com\/es\/are-there-risks-to-not-undergoing-bariatric-surgery\/","title":{"rendered":"Are There Risks to Not Undergoing Bariatric Surgery?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yes<\/span>-<\/span>significant <\/span>ones<\/span>, <\/span>in <\/span>fact<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While <\/span>weight <\/span>loss <\/span>is <\/span>a <\/span>well<\/span>-<\/span>known <\/span>outcome <\/span>of <\/span>bariatric <\/span>surgery<\/span>, <\/span>the <\/span>procedure <\/span>is <\/span>also associated <\/span>with <\/span>a <\/span>broad <\/span>range <\/span>of <\/span>health <\/span>benefits <\/span>that <\/span>are <\/span>a los dos <\/span>clinically <\/span>supported <\/span>and <\/span>potentially <\/span>life<\/span>-<\/span>saving<\/span>. <\/span>Bariatric <\/span>surgery <\/span>has <\/span>been <\/span>shown <\/span>to <\/span>reduce <\/span>the <\/span>risk <\/span>of <\/span>developing <\/span>serious <\/span>medical <\/span>conditions <\/span>such <\/span>as <\/span>type <\/span>2 <\/span>diabetes<\/span>, <\/span>cardiovascular <\/span>disease<\/span>, <\/span>hypertension<\/span>, <\/span>stroke<\/span>, <\/span>nonalcoholic <\/span>fatty <\/span>liver <\/span>disease<\/span>, <\/span>and <\/span>certain <\/span>types <\/span>of <\/span>cancer<\/span>. <\/span>Perhaps <\/span>most <\/span>notably<\/span>, <\/span>it <\/span>is <\/span>associated <\/span>with <\/span>a <\/span>reduced <\/span>risk <\/span>of <\/span>premature <\/span>death<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite <\/span>these <\/span>outcomes<\/span>, <\/span>only <\/span>about <\/span>1% <\/span>of <\/span>patients <\/span>who <\/span>qualify <\/span>for <\/span>bariatric <\/span>surgery <\/span>actually <\/span>undergo <\/span>the <\/span>procedure<\/span>. <\/span>This <\/span>gap <\/span>is <\/span>often <\/span>attributed <\/span>to <\/span>persistent <\/span>social <\/span>stigma <\/span>and <\/span>misconceptions <\/span>about <\/span>weight <\/span>loss <\/span>surgery<\/span>-<\/span>particularly <\/span>among <\/span>men<\/span>. <\/span>Studies <\/span>suggest <\/span>that <\/span>men <\/span>are <\/span>significantly <\/span>less <\/span>likely <\/span>to <\/span>pursue <\/span>bariatric <\/span>surgery<\/span>, <\/span>often <\/span>due <\/span>to <\/span>societal <\/span>pressures <\/span>and <\/span>the <\/span>false <\/span>belief <\/span>that <\/span>choosing <\/span>surgery <\/span>reflects <\/span>personal <\/span>failure <\/span>or <\/span>weakness<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From <\/span>a <\/span>medical <\/span>standpoint<\/span>, <\/span>the <\/span>risks <\/span>of <\/span>not <\/span><\/i>pursuing <\/span>treatment <\/span>in <\/span>cases <\/span>of <\/span>severe <\/span>obesity <\/span>ean <\/span>far <\/span>outweigh <\/span>the <\/span>risks <\/span>associated <\/span>with <\/span>the <\/span>procedure <\/span>itself<\/span>. <\/span>For <\/span>patients <\/span>with <\/span>a <\/span>BMI <\/span>of <\/span>40 <\/span>or <\/span>higher<\/span>-<\/span>or <\/span>35 <\/span>or <\/span>higher <\/span>with <\/span>an <\/span>obesity<\/span>-<\/span>related <\/span>health <\/span>condition<\/span>-<\/span>bariatric <\/span>surgery <\/span>is <\/span>more <\/span>than <\/span>a <\/span>weight <\/span>loss <\/span>solution<\/span>; <\/span>it <\/span>can <\/span>be <\/span>a <\/span>life<\/span>-<\/span>saving <\/span>intervention<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If <\/span>you've <\/span>struggled <\/span>with <\/span>weight <\/span>management <\/span>despite <\/span>trying <\/span>traditional <\/span>methods <\/span>like <\/span>diet <\/span>and <\/span>exercise<\/span>, <\/span>it <\/span>may <\/span>be <\/span>time <\/span>to <\/span>consider <\/span>the <\/span>medical <\/span>benefits <\/span>of <\/span>surgery<\/span>. <\/span>El <\/span>conversation <\/span>around <\/span>surgical <\/span>risks <\/span>is <\/span>important<\/span>-<\/span>but <\/span>so <\/span>is <\/span>recognizing <\/span>the <\/span>serious <\/span>health <\/span>risks <\/span>of <\/span>continuing <\/span>to <\/span>live <\/span>with <\/span>untreated <\/span>obesity<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Surgery <\/b>Saves <\/b>Lives<\/b>: <\/span>Weighing <\/b>the <\/b>Pros <\/b>and <\/b>Cons <\/b>of <\/b>Bariatric <\/b>Surgery\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Bariatric <\/span>surgery <\/span>is <\/span>more <\/span>than <\/span>a <\/span>weight <\/span>loss <\/span>tool<\/span>-<\/span>it's <\/span>a <\/span>medically <\/span>supported<\/span>, <\/span>life<\/span>-<\/span>saving <\/span>intervention <\/span>for <\/span>individuals <\/span>struggling <\/span>with <\/span>severe <\/span>obesity <\/span>and <\/span>its <\/span>associated <\/span>health <\/span>conditions<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Una <\/span>landmark <\/span>1997 <\/span>study <\/span>found <\/span>that <\/span>patients <\/span>who <\/span>underwent <\/span>bariatric <\/span>surgery <\/span>experienced <\/span>significant <\/span>improvements <\/span>in <\/span>obesity<\/span>-<\/span>related <\/span>conditions <\/span>such <\/span>as <\/span>type <\/span>2 <\/span>diabetes<\/span>, <\/span>cardiovascular <\/span>disease<\/span>, <\/span>and <\/span>certain cancers<\/span>, <\/span>compared <\/span>to <\/span>those <\/span>who <\/span>did <\/span>not <\/span>pursue <\/span>surgery<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here <\/span>are <\/span>additional <\/span>data <\/span>points <\/span>to <\/span>help <\/span>put <\/span>the <\/span>impact <\/span>of <\/span>bariatric <\/span>surgery <\/span>into <\/span>perspective<\/span>:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n