Bariatric surgery is a medical procedure performed to produce weight loss for people who are severely obese. Many such individuals are 80 to 100 pounds (36 to 45 kilograms) or more above a healthy body weight. Bariatric surgery can produce loss of between 50 percent and 65 percent of excess body weight within one to two years. This reduction in weight often leads to an overall improvement in health and a better lifestyle, body image, and sense of well-being for the patient.