With all the good news about the latest weight-loss medications, bariatric surgeries decreased by around 25% in 2024, according to a Harvard University study.

But for severely obese patients or those who can’t tolerate the oral medications, weight-loss surgery offers a life-saving alternative.

According to a study in JAMA Network Open that used data on more than 250,000 men and women who had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy, the procedures lowered the patients’ risk for Type 2 diabetes by almost 80%, high blood pressure by about 58%, elevated lipid levels by 50%, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by 40% compared to those who followed a standard weight management program.

Another study published in 2023 found that after bariatric surgery, most people with diabetes, hyperlipidemia, high blood pressure, and obstructive sleep apnea saw their symptoms improve or resolve completely.

If you aren't a candidate for GLP-1s and other weight-loss medications, talk to your doctor about surgical options that could transform your future, including:

• Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. This procedure creates a small pouch at the top of the stomach, limiting what you can eat and drink at any one time. But beware that nutritional deficits can occur.

• Sleeve gastrectomy. This technique removes part of the stomach and forms the remaining section into a tube-like structure. You can eat less and you produce less of the "feed-me" hormone ghrelin. The procedure doesn't negatively impact the absorption of nutrients.