A new study reveals that gastric bypass surgery could have life-extending advantages for those who are very obese.

An estimated 5.1 percent of the U. S. population is morbidly obese, often defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher, according to background information in the article.

The study, initiated by researchers at the University of Cincinnati, claimed that such weight-loss surgery far outweigh the risks thereby providing clinically significant weight loss and improving obesity-related health conditions for those who are highly.

The individual decisions on the surgery are dependent on factors such as age, and a special program to assist physicians and obese people balance the benefits and risks of weight-loss surgery is in a process to be launched, the researchers said.

The upcoming program is based on a study reported by Schauer and his colleagues in the January issue of Archives of Surgery.

The study involved analyzing data on more than 23,000 people who underwent bariatric surgery, and comparison of the data revealed that the years of life expectancy increased through the surgery.

A second report based on the same issue of the journal revealed a significant change in the sites doing bariatric surgery after the federal government approved Medicare and Medicaid payment for the procedure in February 2006.