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.

Rhode Island is the smallest of the 50 states, its population is 1,076,189, and the state capital is Providence. Providence is home to historic cathedrals, the John Brown House Museum, and the Museum of Art at the Rhode Island School of Design. In Newport, one can visit a historic mansion, take the Cliff Walk, which is a National Recreation Trail that overlooks the ocean, or tour the Rhode Island Fishermen & Whale Museum. Every August, thousands of people attend the world-renowned Newport Jazz Festival.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Rhode Island has a population of 1,076,189. Of this population, 237,782 are under the age of 18 and 149,047 are at or above the age of 65.