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Barney Agate knew his health concerns were getting more serious when extensive walking on a family trip to Walt Disney World in the early 2000s caused the skin to rub off the bottom of his big toes.

“I was a diabetic, and my feet couldn’t take that kind of pressure anymore,” Agate said. “My podiatrist said to me, ‘You’ve got to do something about your weight.’”

At that point, he weighed close to 500 pounds. Playing tennis and volleyball in high school and intramural sports in college had previously kept the weight on his 6-foot-1 frame somewhat in check. But by his mid-20s, Agate said, he had fallen into a sedentary lifestyle, leading him to put on close to 100 pounds. Quitting smoking led to additional weight gain. He experimented with several diets over the years and tried to engage in more physical activity, but nothing kept the weight off.

Another physician referred Agate to Christine J. Ren-Fielding, MD, who at that time was a relatively new bariatric surgeon at ������� Langone Health.

“She did my Lap-Band on April 10, 2003. I was 48 years old, and I don’t think there’s a question in anyone’s mind that I wouldn’t have made it to 50 without the surgery,” he said. “My bones were aching, my blood sugar was crazy high, and I was having microaneurysms in my eyes. She saved my life.”

For Agate, the payoff from surgery and ongoing medications and lifestyle modifications has been transformative. He plays pickleball every morning and most evenings, an activity he says would have been unimaginable before his weight loss.

“It’s about so much more than losing weight,” he said. “It’s about getting your life back.”

Not the “Easy Way Out”

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, commonly known as Lap-Band surgery, is a form of bariatric surgery wherein a surgeon places an adjustable silicone band around the upper part of the stomach to create a small pouch. This restricts the amount of food people can eat at one time, helping them feel full more quickly and eat less overall.

Following his surgery, Agate lost weight quickly. Now, at 70 years old, Agate has managed to keep the weight off and thrives in ways he never thought possible. He serves as the president of his condominium association in Florida, where he now lives, and trains and coaches new pickleball players. These are roles that keep him active both physically and socially, but he emphasizes that his health journey hasn’t been easy.

“People think bariatric surgery is taking the easy way out, but that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Agate said. “You’re making a lifelong commitment to your health, and that takes work every single day.”

Dr. Ren-Fielding, now division chief of bariatric surgery and director of �����о��� Langone’s surgical Weight Management Program, agrees.

“Bariatric surgery is an important tool for individuals who struggle with severe obesity and the myriad health conditions that often accompany it, but it’s not a cure on its own,” she said. “Patients need to adopt sustainable lifestyle changes to ensure long-term success. That includes dietary adjustments, regular exercise, and sometimes medications.”

An Integrated Approach to Weight Loss

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) like Ozempic and Wegovy are a class of drug that mimic a naturally occurring hormone that regulates blood glucose levels and insulin while helping reduce appetite and boost metabolism. Originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, these drugs have become popular for weight loss as well.

Agate takes GLP-1 medications to keep his diabetes in check. He credits them, along with an active lifestyle and healthy diet, for helping him maintain his current weight of just under 200 pounds.

“Every day, I’m grateful to still be here,” Agate said. “It’s not just about the surgery. It’s about how you live afterward. I had to change everything—what I eat, how I move, and how I take care of myself. It’s hard work, but it’s worth it to still be around with my family and friends.”

The integrated approach at �����о��� Langone’s Weight Management Program ensures that patients receive not only medical and surgical care but also access to nutritionists, endocrinologists, and mental health professionals.

“These resources help individuals navigate the complexities of life after surgery and maintain their health over the long term,” said Dr. Ren-Fielding. “It’s a myth that diet and exercise alone can work for most people. Those are crucial for health overall, but obesity is a genetic condition that often requires medical intervention. We have the tools that can help people achieve sustained weight loss, which in turns reduces their risk of other health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.”

About ������� Langone Health

�����о��� Langone Health is a fully integrated health system that consistently achieves the best patient outcomes through a rigorous focus on quality that has resulted in some of the lowest mortality rates in the nation. Vizient Inc. has ranked �����о��� Langone the No. 1 comprehensive academic medical center in the country for three years in a row, and U.S. News & World Report recently placed nine of its clinical specialties among the top five in the nation. �����о��� Langone offers a comprehensive range of medical services with one high standard of care across 6 inpatient locations, its Perlmutter Cancer Center, and more than 300 outpatient locations in the New York area and Florida. With $14.2 billion in revenue this year, the system also includes two tuition-free medical schools, in Manhattan and on Long Island, and a vast research enterprise with over $1 billion in active awards from the National Institutes of Health.