Bariatric surgery often requires you to follow a strict diet afterward, not just for weight-loss reasons but also because you're no longer capable of eating some foots (especially carbs) without getting sick. Fortunately, you can find special recipes online; just search for "gastric bypass recipes."

When you have bariatric surgery, you're lowering your risk not just of heart disease and arthritis, but also Type II diabetes, hypertension, lipid metabolism abnormalities, and sleep apnea or other respiratory illnesses. Infertility and depression tend to decrease, too.

Bariatric surgery isn't for everyone. Among the factors that make you a bad candidate may be a history of alcohol or drug abuse, untreated depression, or less than five years of obesity. If you're under 18 or over 65, it's also a good idea to avoid the surgery.