Gastric bypass and other surgeries have become a popular way for the obese to lose weight.
But the procedure has also shown effective at curing diabetes.
That has doctors wondering if more diabetics should be allowed to have the surgery.

Mary Stanford isn't the person she used to be.
Four years ago she weighed 3-hundred pounds and suffered from type 2 diabetes.
After undergoing gastric bypass surgery mary lost 140 pounds and her diabetes disappeared almost immediately.

Mary Stanford says, "Defintely a relief ." Your sugars are normal, you have to worry about testing everyday, you don't have to worry about remembering to take your medication."

Dr. Francesco Rubino says, "We now have sufficient evidence that gastric bypass can improve diabetes dramatically so effective that doctors at this diabetes conference are considering gastric bypass for a larger number of diabetics.

Rght now there is an obesity threshold.
Fr someone who is 5 foot 8 they have to be at least 230 pounds to get the surgery.
New York Presbyterian's Doctor Francesco Rbino is about to begin a new study performing the surgery on patients about 30 pounds lighter.

We're going to compare surgery to conventional medical treatment to understand whether surgery might be preferable in this subset of patients."

Researchers say it's not just the weight loss that rids the body of diabetes.
Scientists believe the surgery may also spark hormonal changes in the body.
So experts believe it's possible the surgery could even benefit diabetics who are just overweight and not obese.
The outcome of those studies could give millions of diabetics a new option.