26 million more Americans can get Lap-Band

Lap-Band maker Allergan Inc. said it received approval to market its stomach-shrinking Lap-Band to millions more patients who are less obese than those currently using the device. The Food and Drug Administration expanded approval to patients with a body mass index between 30 and 40 and one weight-related medical condition, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Patients must also have previously attempted to lose weight by other methods like diet and exercise. An additional 26.4 million American patients meet the new criteria for the device. That's up from roughly 15 million under the previous criteria.

Bonnie - why should we be surprised with this? American health care is built upon "Band-Aid" solutions and the Lap-Band is the ultimate "Band-Aid".