Dietary and medical therapy of obesity.

Surgery is not a cure for obesity but is an effective tool for limiting food consumption. If severely obese patients do not respond to a treatment plan that includes nutritional, exercise, and behavioral interventions plus antiobesity drugs, bariatric surgery may be appropriate. Proper diet selection after bariatric surgery involves more than the energy value and macronutrient composition. Adequate vitamin and mineral composition of the diet is essential to ensure that surgery improves nutritional status. Malabsorption is present to some extent with most surgeries. Therefore, diet after surgery should be monitored closely for adequacy by a nutritionist.