There were five times as many weight loss surgeries performed in 2002 as in 1998. In 2002 there were 72,000 surgeries performed in the United States. These are numbers provided by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The American Society for Bariatric Surgery attributes the surgery's popularity to the rise in obesity rates and the willingness of insurance companies to cover the operation’s $25,000 and up price tag.

New Philadelphia Times Reporter

Getting in shape: Some in area, US turn to surgery to aid weight ... New Philadelphia Times Reporter, OH - 6 May 2006 By J. ANN TIPTON,TR Staff Writer. It’s been three years since Sharon Korns of Dover went under the knife for weight-loss surgery. ...