Hi Barbie - after years of research and contemplation, I decided to go with the LapBand. I had my surgery October 2009. I have two people in my family that have had gastric bypass surgery. They got skinny quickly, but that was not what I was looking for. I wanted a weight loss that would be slower so that my skin would not sag, and so that I would not lose hair, and it seemed to be a healthier way of weight loss. My sister had gastric bypass and she gets sick when she eats certain foods; so she cannot eat certain foods. The LapBand has been a tool to help me to not over-eat. I went from size 22 to size 14. I'm 36 years old and this has been the best decision I've made second to marrying my husband. It hasn't always been easy, but it's definitely been worth it. I'm still losing weight slowly; I figure that by the end of 2011, I should be where I want to be. I hope that you make the right choice for yourself and that you are happy with the results. Good luck!