The number of Americans undergoing weight loss surgery has quadrupled in recent years. In this hour of Science Friday, we'll take a look at this increasingly popular procedure. Surgical procedures can restrict part of the stomach, effectively decreasing the amount of food the stomach can hold. Other approaches bypass portions of the small intestine, decreasing the amount of food that can be digested. The most popular bariatric surgery in the US, the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, combines those two approaches. We'll talk about whether the weight-loss benefits from such treatments justify both the surgical risks and the costs of the procedures, which can cost between $20,000 and $35,000.

Plus, the latest on leptin. Several years ago, the hormone leptin was touted as the key to regulating appetite and metabolism. Has there been any progress made in translating the lab work on leptin into practical weight-control treatments? Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (3-4 Eastern). Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests:
David R. Flum
Associate Professor, Division of General Surgery, School of Medicine
Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Health Services, School of Public Health
Director, Surgical Outcomes Research Center
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington

Mark Bessler
Surgical Director, Center for Obesity Surgery
Director of Laparoscopic Surgery
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
New York, New York

Paul Ernsberger
Associate Professor, Department of Nutrition
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Cleveland, Ohio

Jeffrey Friedman
Marilyn M. Simpson Professor
Head, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
The Rockefeller University
New York, New York

Books/Articles Discussed:

(find books discussed on previous broadcasts)

Search by keywords:

This segment produced by Annette Heist