bariatric

adjective

bar·​iat·​ric ˌber-ē-ˈa-trik 

ˌba-rē-

: relating to or specializing in the treatment of obesity : involving or practicing bariatrics

If all goes well, bariatric surgery leads to substantial weight loss, especially among the morbidly obese.

—Stephen J. Dubner et al.

a bariatric clinic

bariatric physicians

bariatric medicine

Examples of bariatric in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Now, new research from Monash University has reminded everyone that before there were injectable weight loss drugs, there was bariatric surgery. —New Atlas, 12 Feb. 2025

At the 15-year mark, patients who had bariatric surgery were 72 percent less likely to have developed major complications like liver cancer than similar patients who didn’t have surgery. —Nina Agrawal, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2025

The Bariatric Weight Loss Support Group is open to anyone struggling to lose weight, including those considering bariatric weight loss surgery. —Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2025

The former constitutes an illness, while the latter is a health risk to monitor, says Dr. Francesco Rubino, chair of metabolic and bariatric surgery at King's College London and chair of the expert commission. —Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 14 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

bar- + -iatric, probably after earlier bariatrics

Note: See note at bariatrics.

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

bariatric

adjective

bar·​iat·​ric ˌbar-ē-ˈa-trik 

: relating to or specializing in the treatment of obesity : involving or practicing bariatrics

Bariatric surgery is the umbrella term for all weight-loss surgeries reserved for obese patients. Gastric bypass is a subset of these surgeries that first divides the stomach into a small and large pouch and then connects the small stomach pouch to the lower small intestine …

—Bijal P. Trivedi, Discover

bariatric physicians

bariatric medicine