Obesity has become one of the biggest health challenges of the 21st century. As diets, exercise programs and pills seem to fail, more and more Australians are turning to surgery for a solution.
Now you're about to meet the lap band champions who have beaten the battle of the bulge with a revolutionary and sometimes risky surgery.
Deb Ross is the lap band pin up girl, having shrunk from a size 22 to a size 10 after the surgery.
"I started talking to a few people on the internet then met for coffee and we all sort of had the same idea that there is not much around to support each other," Ms Ross told ACA.
"So I invited a few people and it has steam rolled from there."
Now Deb is part of a group of other lap band bandits who have lost big with the surgery.
Dr Paul O'Brien is Director of the Centre for Obesity Research and Education at Monash University and said there will be 14,000 procedures done this year alone.
"It is becoming one of the most common operations we do and I expect in five years time it could be 40,000 procedures a year," Dr O'Brien said.
But he warns potential lap band participants that it isn't a quick-fix solution.
"This is setting the scene for us as a partnership to do the right thing permanently for the rest of your life," he said.
"Eating properly and exercising properly and learning about how to live your life with a lap band."
One lap band support member is a big fan of the group and said it helps to alleviate a lot of fears.
"I can come and ask questions about what may happen or I can hear their stories about what has happened in the past and what they were going through before they had surgery," Kirsty Crottie said.
If you are thinking about using lap band surgery to help you lose the bulge, make sure you know what you're getting into.
Lap band surgery
What is it?
This type of procedure should be treated as a last resort. This a procedure for severely obese patients. It reduces the size of the stomach to limit the amount patients can physically eat.
Who can have the surgery?
According to the Obesity Surgery Society of Australia and New Zealand, patients need to be at least 45kg over the ideal weight for their height and gender in order to have this operation. Ideally, patients will have a Body Mass Index of 40. Patients should also have tried to lose weight unsuccessfully and must be over 18 years of age
Are there any risks associated?
Leaks and infections can occur. Also, if a patient snacks within two hours of a normal meal, regurgitation is common as the newly-formed small stomach cannot handle food on a regular basis. The weight loss may not be long-term if the patient does not alter their eating and exercise habits.
