We live in a consumer culture where abundance is the name of the game. As Americans, we spend more time and money on creature comforts and personal leisure than most people on Earth. Our comparatively luxurious way of life sees us using more energy than all of the other countries. Our taste for excess doesn’t stop at entertainment, or fashion, either. We’re fond of surplus in the kitchen, too.

By the numbers, about two-thirds of Americans are considered to be overweight or obese. While that may sound like a very liberal estimate, it’s quite reasonable. The standards for health and physical well being in the United States are perhaps relaxed compared to other places. Despite this, a consensus exists in the worldwide medical community that a healthy lifestyle means maintaining a certain BMI (body mass index), weight, diet, and excersize routine.

The American lifestyle doesn’t always leave much room for these things. We’re putting our risks at health by living in such a way — not only are two-thirds of the population overweight, but about one-third of us are considered to be obese. When it comes to crossing the line into extreme obesity, the numbers are a little more forgiving. Only one in twenty Americans are considered to be extremely obese, though this is still a higher rate than what you’d find in most other countries.

America also leads the world in medical technology. For decades, the U.S. has been a number one destination for patients all over the world. Our technology, expertise, and ability to provide remedies for ailments other countries cannot make us one of the best places to becomes healthy. This is in spite of our own penchant for becoming unhealthy.

It should come as no surprise then that America has developed a technological solution to our obesity. Changing the diets and exercise routines of hundreds of millions of citizens is like turning around a massive ocean liner — it will take a lot of time and effort. In order to slow the rising tides of poor health in America, procedures like gastric sleeve surgery are becoming widespread.

Gastric sleeve surgery is a type of bariatric surgery which takes aim at an unhealthy person’s digestive system. Instead of waiting years for healthy lifestyle choices to take effect, gastric bypass produces a tremendous amount of weight loss all from inside the operating room.

If you’re looking for the road back to a skinnier, healthier you, weight loss surgery may be worth looking into. If you feel normal healthy lifestyle choices are too slow-acting to combat the health risks you’re facing, gastric sleeve surgery could offer a more immediate path back to strong health.