While one in four adults in Britain is obese, some 8,000 bariatric (weight-loss) procedures were carried out on the NHS last year, the Daily Mail reported.
The cost of this can range between £3,000 and £10,000, with Scottish doctors in April suggesting this could lead to a bankruptcy of the health system.
Alongside this is evidence that weight-loss surgeries may be a short-term solution to a far-reaching problem, particularly in light of the fact 50 per cent of Britons are expected to be obese by 2050.
A study conducted in Brazil showed 63 per cent of bariatric surgery patents regained the weight within two years of their operation.
Similarly, German research showed 30 per cent of patients put the pounds back on between 18 and 36 months after the procedure.
Experts indicated the reason for this could be psychological because, although patients lose weight, they have not learnt how to manage their food desires.
Professor of health psychology at the University of Surrey Jane Ogden told the news provider: "Hunger isn't just a biological process - it can be about feeling fed up and wanting comfort, or feeling bored.
"Unless patients have changed their attitude towards food they end up cheating - grazing, or drinking lots of water so their stomach can manage more food."
Under the NHS, patients awaiting gastric surgery have to undergo a psychological assessment to ensure they are mentally able to cope with the after effects.
Bariatric surgeon at St Richard's Hospital in Chichester Guy Slater explained to the Daily Mail that one in eight people fail this assessment, however it can be a difficult requirement to meet amid waiting times for psychologists.
He was quoted as saying: "We get rid of the physical hunger, but some people have an emotional hunger that is less easy to get rid of."
For effective weight management, Britons would be best advised to stick to a healthy diet and regular exercise to identify a routine that is conducive to long term weight loss.
