The obesity epidemic has far-reaching implications for the economic and health care future in the United States. Treatments that show reduction in health care costs over time should be approved and made available to as many patients as possible. It is our opinion that bariatric surgery meets this criterion. However, bariatric surgery cannot provide the impact necessary for reduction in health care and economic costs on a national scale. The obesity epidemic must be addressed by policy efforts at the local, state, and national levels. As experts on obesity, bariatric surgeons must be prepared to guide and inform these efforts.
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