American Heart Association statement points to heart health improvements in severely obese people

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- The benefits of bariatric (weight loss) surgery may outweigh the risks for some severely obese people, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association.

By restricting food intake and/or preventing full absorption of food as it passes through the gastro-intestinal tract, bariatric surgery is meant to reduce a person's caloric intake.

The statement-writing committee reviewed available scientific literature and concluded that bariatric surgery can result in long-term weight loss and significant reductions in cardiac and other risk factors for certain people who are severely obese, which is defined as having a body mass index of 40 or more.