According to a University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing study on bariatric surgery, it was found that patients who underwent gastric bypass surgery who were followed up for observation five times over a two-year period, as recommended by their surgeons, were able to lose almost twice as much weight in the former case (113 lbs vs. 57 lbs.), compared to those who attended only two times. According to epidemiologic statistics, there are 1.7 billion people worldwide who are overweight or obese, and two-thirds of these people live in the United States. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a calculation of height and weight that is used to categorize obesity. Patients are candidates for bariatric surgery when they are severely obese (BMI greater than or equal to 40) and have at least one co-occurring medical condition such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or sleep apnea. The study found that those patients who underwent bariatric surgery and attended five follow-up observations with medical staff as recommended lost an average of 113 pounds in the two years following surgery. Those patients who adhered to only two follow-up visits lost an average of 57 pounds over two years. To maximize weight loss after gastric bypass surgery, clinician follow-up is important,” said Dr. Charlenecompher, professor of nutrition at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and lead author. These findings demonstrate that staying in touch with healthcare providers is key to motivating patients to maximize weight loss. These findings also demonstrate that patients who are more motivated about their personal health are also more willing to participate in follow-up visits.” According to Dr. Compher, the use of clinician-measured weights in this study is of great significance because self-reported weights of obese patients are often lower than actual weights. Similarly, this study suggests the need for strategies to optimize patient follow-up.