Weight-loss surgery somewhat reduces the risk of obese people developing type 2 diabetes, a new study discovered.

Nearly 5,000 people participated in the trial set-up by doctors to evaluate the health impact of the procedure, according to the study in the Nov. 3 issue of The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

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During the course of the study, doctors performed weight loss surgery, or bariatic surgery, on 2,167 obese adults. Another 2,167 obese people continued with their normal routine but weren't operated on.

After seven years, researchers discovered obese adults that underwent bariatric surgery were 80 percent less likely to develop diabetes compared to those who didn't.

Bariatic surgery is the last treatment option for obese people. It's only available at the National Health Service (NHS) to treat people with potentially life-threatening obesity when other treatments fail.

There are two common types of bariatic surgery. One is the gastric band where a band is used to decrease the size of the stomach so it ingests smaller amounts of food. The other is gastric bypass in which the digestive system is re-routed past most of the stomach so less food is digested.

Professor of Public Health at King's College London Martin Gulliford suggested the results of bariatric surgery may be a highly effective method in preventing the start of new diabetes in both obese men and women.

"We need to understand how weight-loss surgery can be used, together with interventions to increase physical activity and promote healthy eating, as part of an overall diabetes prevention strategy," Gulliford explained.

This surgery takes doctors one step closer to confirm the effect of bariatric surgery in reducing type 2 diabetes, according to Dr. Jacques Himpens of Saint Pierre University Hospital in Brussels, Belgium.

He added that further studies and more evidence are needed to convince endocrinologists that this surgery is effective.

Currently, 8,000 people receive bariatic surgery annually.

TagsWeight loss surgery, bariatic surgery, Type 2 diabetes, obese people, obesity