I keep seeing headlines that rank bariatric surgery above GLP-1s, or flip it depending on the week. I’ve been on a GLP-1 for a little over a year and I’m down 62 lb; a close friend had sleeve surgery in 2022. Our day-to-day experiences are so different that a single scoreboard feels suspect.
Can anyone point me to the actual trials or cohorts behind these comparisons? I’m trying to understand how they handle crossover (surgery to meds, meds to surgery), adherence, and 3–5 year regain. Also, are they comparing diabetes remission, sleep apnea, or just percent weight loss? I’m not anti-surgery or anti-med. I just want to read the methods before I trust the ranking. What should I be checking first: intention-to-treat, matched controls, or something else?