What is the Future of Surgical Treatment of Obesity; What Will be the Place of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery?

There is focused awareness of severe obesity, its health risk and possible solutions. Yet there remains confusion and skepticism among the medical profession over therapeutic action. Basic questions unanswered project futility toward solving the problem, while the general public is driven toward unsound solutions which are costly. A cloud of cynicism pervades for those seeking to control this problem surgically. The problem will persist. Its health risks increasingly will demand attention, and solution will be sought by surgical means which is the only control for comorbidity, but does not cure severe obesity. Pressure to totally control excess weight results in undesirable side-effects. Careful judgment must be used. Now insight is desperately needed to understand severe obesity, its etiology and pathophysiology. This Insight is likely to come from careful observations of those engaged in its control. Surgical control, profound in its success, provides a model that should lead to more complete understanding of severe obesity, as in the example of "Burns-The Universal Trauma Model." Those experienced and engaged in this work show courage in this orphan field of endeavor. They lead the way as general surgeons and gastrointestinal surgeons with broad application of knowledge for this model. This society will continue to focus the expertise and the opportunities in this area. The future predicted is exciting and demanding.