Question any weight loss surgeon about whether or not gastric bypass surgery lowers a patient's risk of premature death and he will tell you without any hesitation that it does. Indeed, he will almost certainly be surprised that you have asked the question in the first place since surgeons have known for many years that weight loss surgery extends a patient's life.

but, put that same question to a range of insurance companies and you might well get a different answer because, until now, in spite of the fact that there has been plenty of anecdotal evidence for what everyone knows to be the position, there has not been any hard, concrete numerical proof.

Now however the results of 2 studies have clearly shown in quantifiable terms that gastric bypass surgery has a marked effect on the mortality of those concerned.

In the first, a multi-center US study involving 16,000 patients who were followed over a 7 year period, long-term mortality dropped by as much as 40 percent. In addition a second Swedish study involving 4,000 patients showed a 29 percent fall in mortality.

For many years now insurance companies have sought to put obstacles in front of patients to stop them from submitting claims for weight loss surgery and this has been gaining momentum in recent years as the number of weight loss operations being performed has climbed dramatically and weight loss surgery has become more and more accepted with a number of celebrities such as Star Jones, Carnie Wilson, Al Rocker and others undergoing weight loss surgery.

The insurance companies however have stuck strictly to the line that gastric bypass surgery ought only to be used as a last resort and that all possible efforts to lose weight using exercise and diet, including if necessary the use of drugs, should be exhausted before weight loss surgery can be approved. In addition, they have also insisted that gastric bypass surgery can only finally be undertaken if weight presents a risk to life.

For many people this position by the insurance companies is seen as being totally stupid and a position which has clearly been adopted merely to save the insurance company money. Nevertheless, and despite this view, the insurance companies have gotten away with this for many years now because it has been impossible to show in terms of facts and figures that gastric bypass surgery is not just a convenient and relatively easy way to lose weight but is the only option for many obesity sufferers and an option which will not only improve their quality of life but literally extend their lives, in many cases quite significantly.

For many years now overweight people have fought with their weight and, although some have experienced very limited success, the vast majority of people (and unquestionably those who need to lose more than 80 pounds) have found that exercise and diet quite simply does not work. Despite this fact, they have had no choice and doctors have been forced to lead them down this path because of the position of the insurance companies.

Perhaps now at long last the insurance companies are going to be forced to face up to their responsibility in this area and finally put the needs of their policyholders ahead of those of their shareholders.

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