The question on your mind after deciding on surgery is what will gastric bypass cost? And there a few ways to answer this.

First of all, there's the monetary cost. Few insurances are willing to pay for gastric bypass surgery, though some are coming around to pay for the less invasive lap band procedure.

Most patients can expect to see a bill of anywhere from $20,000 and up. This includes a hospital stay and the surgeon's fee. You may want to have your surgeon write a letter to your insurance company to let them know why you need the surgery. This can somtimes sway the insurance into helping pay the bill.

If not, most surgeons will require some down payment before you go in. It's also good to note that the more invasive the surgery, the more expensive it will be--especially if there are complications.

But on the other hand, what's the cost of NOT having gastric bypass surgery? Obesity is becoming an epidemic with everyday medical costs soaring beyond patients in a healthy weight range. It's now been shown that obestity is surpassing smoking as a major health risk.

Can you afford not to have gastric bypass?