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.

Oklahoma’s population is 3,547,884, and its largest city and centrally located capital is Oklahoma City. Oklahoma was recognized as a territory in 1890, but not accepted into the union as a state until 1907. Visitors to the capital can see the National Cowboy Hall of Fame or view the stockyards area, which is the largest cattle market in the world. Famous people from Oklahoma include singers Woody Guthrie, Garth Brooks and Vince Gill, actor and director Ron Howard, and humorist Will Rogers.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Oklahoma has a population of 3,547,884. Of this population, 803,170 are under the age of 18 and 456,686 are at or above the age of 65.