[Do we have to leave obesity treatment to the surgeons?]

The comparison of the largest bariatric surgery study (Swedish Obese Subjects, SOS) with almost 4000 surgical and conservatively treated patients and its conservative counterpart, the LookAHEAD study (Action for Help in Diabetes) with more than 5000 obese patients (average BMI 36 kg/m(2)) with type 2 diabetes showed that although both studies resulted in improved cardiovascular risk factors (bodyweight, HbA1c, HDL/LDL, blood pressure, sleep apnoe syndrome) only the SOS study and subsequent obesity surgery studies could verify their primary outcome hypothesis (significant reduction of the incidence of both cardiovascular deaths, non-fatal infarctions and strokes and hospitalization angina). Furthermore the SOS study could demonstrate a decreased mortality compared to the Look-AHEAD study. Despite a high psychological co-morbidity of obesity surgery patients the majority of studies also with follow-ups of more than 5 years demonstrates an improvement in mental functioning and quality of life. In contrast, there seems to be an increased risk for suicide about 3-4 years after the surgical intervention. Thus, while the majority of obesity surgery patients seems to benefit both physically and mentally, there is a minority that risks to take at least psychologically serious damage.