Obesity around the world continues to rise. Obesity may soon become the leading cause of death in the United States according to the CDC. As a result, weight reduction surgeries like gastric bypass surgery show that demand for weight loss surgery is soaring. In 2002, the number of gastric bypass procedures jumped 40%, to 80,000. In 2003, the number of surgeries exceeded 120,000. The numbers continue to rise even more today.