Obesity increases the risk for death by 10 to 50 percent and causes 112,000 excess deaths each year.

More than 103,000 gastric bypass surgeries were done in 2003.

Within two to seven years, up to 40 percent of surgery patients regain weight.

A procedure called StomaphyX™ enables doctors to shrink down a stretched stomach pouch by making small pleats in the walls of the pouch.