Bariatric medicine deals with the causes, prevention and treatment of obesity. A bariatric medicine physician, or bariatrician, may treat patients with diet and nutrition, exercise, behavior modification or medication. The bariatrician may also coordinate patient care with a bariatric surgeon, who may perform surgery. Bariatric or gastric bypass surgery, also known as roux-en-Y gastric bypass, creates a small pouch of the stomach that bypasses part of the intestine. When the size of the stomach is reduced by surgery, it allows less food to be ingested, resulting in weight loss.

Obesity is damaging to one’s health: some of the negative effects of obesity are heart disease, diabetes, some forms of cancer, hypertension, asthma, obstructive sleep apnea, arthritis; and obesity has been known to shorten one’s lifespan.

North Dakota’s capital is Bismarck, but its largest city is Fargo. The population of North Dakota is sparse, at 636,677, and its northern border is adjacent to Canada. It became a state in 1889. North Dakota is a popular hunting and fishing site, along with summer hiking, biking and camping in the state parks. Visitors tour the Badlands National Park to see rock formations and prehistoric fossils. Farming takes up 90 percent of the land in North Dakota.

According to 2005 Census estimates, North Dakota has a population of 636,677. Of this population, 133,616 are under the age of 18 and 93,409 are at or above the age of 65.