Weight Loss Surgeries Decline as GLP-1 Use Skyrockets. Why This Matters
Why this matters: health reporting relevant to everyday decisions and well-being.
The number of people getting bariatric surgery for weight loss has declined, partly due to the rise of GLP-1 medications. KARRASTOCK/Getty Images. A new study has found a decline in the number of people getting bariatric surgery for weight loss. The widespread availability of GLP-1 medications and weight management programs is likely contributing to this trend. Experts say that bariatric surgery has been shown to be an effective long-term strategy for weight loss. Bariatric surgery also has quick recovery times due to procedural advancements, such as laparoscopic techniques. Your doctor can help you decide whether weight loss surgery or weight loss drugs are best for you. Until recently, bariatric surgery was considered a first-line treatment for weight loss. Now, a recent study from Loyola University Chicago researchers has uncovered a significant shift in the bariatric surgery landscape. The study’s authors aimed to understand how the types and numbers of bariatric surgeries have changed in response to the growing popularity of GLP-1 drugs and other weight loss treatments. After examining data from 2020 to 2024, the researchers observed a decline in the number of bariatric surgeries performed across the United States. The findings have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, but were presented during the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Annual Meeting from May 3–7 in San Antonio, TX. The study highlights how patients and doctors are increasingly opting for surgery alternatives, reflecting evolving attitudes and options to treat obesity. Bariatric surgeries decline in recent years Bariatric surgery, which includes procedures like sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass, has long been considered an effective solution for severe obesity. However, as noninvasive therapies advance, it’s important to track how these shifts affect surgical practices and patient choices. To investigate these trends, the researcher