The sad truth is, bariatric surgery is difficult, expensive, and painful, and doesn't always work. You should always exhaust other options, especially one-on-one counseling, dieting, and exercise, and lifestyle changes, before you opt for surgery.
Prime candidates for bariatric surgery are individuals who are more than 100 pounds overweight, and who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than 40. For people with a history of diabetes or heart disease, the recommended BMI rank is 35 or above.