Former NFL coach Rex Ryan (348 pounds), writer Anne Rice (254 pounds), and comedian Roseanne Barr (350 pounds) have thrived after having weight-loss surgery.

And in 2019, around 256,000 fellow Americans did the same, with 61% opting for what's called sleeve gastrectomy. (About 18% had the more complex gastric bypass, once the most common form of bariatric surgery.)

Sleeve gastrectomy removes 75% to 80% of the stomach, and most people who undergo the procedure lose around 60%-70% of their excess weight within a year.

After Rosie O'Donnell had the procedure, she declared: "This has really, really helped [me]." That's putting it mildly.

A new study in JAMA Network Open has found that for folks who are severely obese and have diabetes, bariatric surgery decreases the overall risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 68%, the risk of nonfatal kidney problems by 42%, and overall the risk of death from all causes by 47% over a stretch of four to 10 years.

The risks of everything from sleep apnea to depression and cancer were also reduced.

Today, knowledge about how to support the physical and emotional challenges people face post-surgery has increased enormously, and complications have been cut.

But bariatric surgery does require you to also change your habits. If you're struggling to achieve a healthy weight and control your diabetes, take time to watch "The Underperformed Surgery You Should Be Getting, Pt 1 through Pt 5" at www.DoctorOz.com.

Then talk to your doctor about how this might help you reclaim your health and happiness.