I wrote How Weight Loss Surgery Really Works in an attempt to convince those who suffer from obesity that:
1) obesity is a disease of fat storage, not a sign of personal failure
2) weight loss surgery works primarily by changing the hormonal state that regulates your appetite and metabolism and offers an opportunity to repair a broken fat storage system
3) Long term, durable weight loss (including after Bariatric Surgery) can only be achieved through permanent changes in your lifestyle that preserve and enhance these hormonal changes

For many years, we've been telling patients that Bariatric (Weight Loss) Surgery works by preventing people from eating too much and by blocking the absorption of calories in the intestine.  These two mechanisms, labeled "restriction" and "malabsorption" have laid the...