The chart below compares the long-term effectiveness of four different obesity treatments: diet and exercise, weight loss medications and bariatric surgery.
- Bariatric surgery clearly has the best weight loss outcome compared to the other two treatments — 50 to 70 percent of people were able to lose at least 50 percent of the excess weight and keep it off for five years.
- After five years, only 2 to 5 percent of the people who dieted and exercised had maintained a weight loss of at least 10 percent.
- People who had taken weight loss medications were not able to maintain any weight loss.
| TREATMENT | TYPICAL WEIGHT LOSS |
| Diet and Exercise | 2% to 5% total body weight |
| Medication | 7% to 10% total body weight |
| Intragastric Balloon | 30 to 50 lbs. |
| Bariatric Surgery | 50% to 70% excess weight |