For Ehaab, an account manager, the gains far outweighed risks the day he walked into the OR at St. Vincent's for his Bariatric surgery. At almost 400 lbs, the 31-year-old says he "worried about things like not being able to run to get my little son out of the road." His self-esteem was low, he had tried the endless roller coaster of diets and supplements that didn't work, and his obesity was ruining his hopes of becoming a realtor. The meet-and-greet aspect and the getting in-and-out of cars to show properties didn't add up to the right job for a guy carrying more than 200 pounds of excess weight.

"St. Vincent's was always my hospital. When I heard Dr. Ehrlich describe the program, it set my mind at ease," remembers Ehaab. But even with his blood pressure and cholesterol very high, his wife worried." I had to show her all the details," he says.

He underwent the surgery in October '05 and has lost 137 lbs. The weight loss reveals a determined looking man quite capable of sprinting to pull his child out of harm's way. His BP and cholesterol are way down, says Ehaab, and he's just gotten his realtor's license." I feel much more confident about dealing with people," he says. Then, clearly delighted, Ehaab adds, "My wife had the surgery herself, a few weeks ago."