For those who qualify and go through with the surgery, it all but guarantees significant improvements to life and health. Justin Delap, who lost 200 pounds after having bariatric surgery, gave KOMU the skinny on how it has changed his life.

"My life absolutely transformed at the point I had the surgery. From the physical way, spiritual, societal...the whole nine yards," Delap said.

In short, the surgery is a procedure to shrink the stomach.

"Part of the intestines are bypassed and the stomach is divided, leaving only a small pouch that will come in contact with food," said Dr. Roger De La Torre, a bariatric surgeon at University Hospital.

At just age 29, Delap topped the scales at 450 pounds. He knew he had to do something if he was going to be around for his wife and two young sons. He had high blood pressure and was borderline diabetic. A chest pain episode finally convinced him to look into surgery.

"People always say, 'You did it the easy way,' we see it in the media and everything like that. It is not, let me tell you that," Delap said. "I did the diet and exercise. I played football. I was a high school varsity athlete. I've gained, gone up and down, up and down. I did the Weight Watchers thing for a number of years. This is the only thing sustainable I could have done."

According to University Hospital, bariatric surgery is not for everyone because it's not as easy as it sounds. Lifestyle changes are a necessity and dramatic, which means no more high sugar or high fat foods for those who go through with the procedure.

"For a couple of weeks all you can do is liquid and Jello," Delap said.

Patients even experience symptoms of illness following the surgery.

"There's actually a phenomenon known as 'dumping' that occurs where a person feels like they're coming down with the flu," De La Torre said. "Some feel like they've been punched in the stomach and some get a massive diarrhea after eating these wrong kinds of food, these high-calorie foods."

And the lifestyle changes aren't only for the short term.

"I still have to watch my volume and I still have to watch my sugar intake," Delap said. "It's better, I don't have to worry about eating three or four M & Ms and getting sick. I can eat a little bit of things in moderation, but you still have to really watch it."

Obesity in the United States has increased nearly 75 percent in about 15 years.

"For the most part with morbid obesity, there's just a multitude of factors. Many are hereditary. Many involve the hypothalamus or parts of the brain," De La Torre said. "It's not something we should just point to the obese person and say, 'It's your fault if you could just push that plate away.'"

For some who are obese, exercise is not even viable without first having bariatric surgery.

"I was 450 pounds. Trying to exercise when you're 450 pounds is like trying to exercise with a 250-pound wool suit on," Delap said.

For those who do have surgery, the health results are staggering. It reduces the chance of dying from weight-related health problems by 89 percent. 85 percent of those who have surgery no longer have diabetes and high blood pressure and high cholesterol are both put under control. Problems with sleep apnea and acid reflux are both improved if not resolved altogether.

Then there's the social changes patients experience as well.

"It's the last bastion of prejudice. You can absolutely make fun of fat people and it's okay, but that is the reality we live in. People can say, 'Hey man, you're just too heavy. No one is going to hire you,'" Delap said. "No matter how good your personality is, no matter have outgoing you are, no matter how good you can sell...being that heavy, you're not going to get the job. But people treat you differently when you lose that much weight."

Most patients lose a pound of two a day for several months, and on average shed 100 pounds in about 10 months, usually to end up about 15 percent above their ideal body weights.

Insurance will often cover the cost of bariatric surgery and sometimes Medicare and Medicaid will too. In order to qualify for surgery, you have to have a body mass index of 40 or above, which usually means you're about 100 pounds overweight.