AS THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WITH obesity continues to increase, so has the prevalence of bariatric surgery in the United States and worldwide. Bariatric surgery is currently the only known method that offers both considerable and long-term weight loss.1 Depending on the surgical procedure, patients can expect to lose between 29% and 87% of excess body weight 1 to 2 years postsurgery.2 Despite the substantial weight loss and improvements in comorbid conditions observed after bariatric surgery, these procedures are not without nutritional risk, which underscores the importance of registered dietitians (RDs) to the bariatric surgical care team.
