Bariatric Surgery: The Most Effective Solution for Long-Term Weight Loss

A recent study has clearly demonstrated that bariatric surgery is more effective than both lifestyle changes and medications for maintaining weight loss. Dr. Alexander Abkin, a bariatric surgeon in New Jersey, states, “When it comes to keeping weight off for the long term, surgery outshines medications and lifestyle changes without question.”

Presented at the 2024 annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, this analysis combined data from six major studies involving over 40,000 patients. It’s the first comprehensive review to focus on this critical comparison.

The study examined:

• Bariatric Surgery: This included two procedures—Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy—encompassing nearly 25,000 patients.
• Lifestyle Changes: Only about 723 patients were included in this category, relying primarily on diet and exercise.
• Medications: The analysis also assessed GLP-1 medications, such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, with over 15,000 patients participating.

Lifestyle changes yielded an average weight loss of just 7.4%, and participants frequently regained that weight within a few years. “Lifestyle interventions fall short in providing lasting results,” Dr. Abkin explains.

When it comes to medications, while they can help some patients lose weight, the results are significantly less effective than those achieved through surgery. Many patients who use GLP-1 medications regain a substantial portion of the weight once they stop taking them. Roughly half of the weight lost was regained within a year after stopping injections; with continued injections, weight loss plateaued after 17 to 18 months. In contrast, bariatric surgery often leads to a loss of around 30% of body weight, with patients maintaining much of that loss over time.

This study indicates bariatric surgery is not just more effective than lifestyle changes but is also far superior to medications for long-term weight management. As Dr. Abkin adds, “For those struggling with obesity, surgery is the most effective path to achieving and sustaining significant weight loss, providing benefits that medications simply can’t match.”