About one third of U.S. adults are obese and according to the Centers for Disease Control, the past twenty years have brought a dramatic increase in these numbers.

The CDC reports that in 2010, over 34% of Louisiana's population was overweight and over 31% was obese.

But medical procedures like gastric bypass surgery can help a patient lose more than just pounds.

"It was all family and thinking about them and really not taking care of ourselves."

Kathie and Edwin Tubbs are like most couples who've spent the last 42 years together...comfortable. But, over the years, that comfort eventually turned into serious health issues.

"My doctor told me, 'You are borderline diabetic. You need to do something about this. This is important,'" recalled Kathie.

Both Kathie and Edwin found themselves battling weight issues for the first time in their lives, and in 2008, they underwent gastric bypass surgery.

"When you realize what was happening and the goal we had set for ourselves, it was easy. It really was easy," Edwin said.

The Tubbs say the surgery changed their lives, eliminating certain health issues, and allowing them to once again appreciate the small things in life.

"Just being able to go into a restaurant and they say, 'a table or a booth'and you say, 'either one,'" said Kathie.

Combined they've lost over 300 pounds and Kathie is no longer on blood pressure medicine.

"It's like being re-born almost. I would hate to think that in this past 4 years, if we had not done something, where we would be."

"It's this risk factor reduction that drives the reduction in mortality," said Dr. Jonathan Davis, a Cardiologist with CHRISTUS Health.

Dr. Davis says losing weight through surgery can remove a patient from a deadly path.

"What I do see after the surgery is that their risk factors melt away and there's been recent studies that have demonstrated that there's actually a mortality benefit for considering some of these weight-loss surgeries."

He says doctors should conduct an extensive screening process before deciding whether surgery is the correct treatment for a patient.