A recent study has suggested that undergoing weight loss surgery, like gastric bypass, can do more than help with the loss of pounds.

The results of the new study, which was published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, reportedly showed that weight loss surgery reduced patients' diabetes risk by close to 80% compared with people who received more traditional standard care, according to the media outlet HCP Live.

Leading researcher Martin Guilford, professor of public health at King's College, reportedly worked with a team to study the effect of the surgery on the number of patients diagnosed with diabetes and was able to find these specific benefits of weight loss surgery.

Final results reportedly included 2,167 patients with diabetes who either underwent laparoscopic adjustable banding, sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass since 2002. They were reportedly compared to 2,167 patients prior to that time based on age, sex, BMI and blood glucose control who had not undergone surgery over a period of time up to seven years.

In the surgery, there were only 38 new cases of diabetes while the non-surgical group reportedly had 177 new cases over the same length of time.

"Our results suggest that bariatric surgery may be a highly effective method of preventing the onset of new diabetes in men and women with severe obesity," stated Guilford.

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

Laura Crowthers, a mother-of-four, was able to experience the benefits of weight loss surgery. Crowthers had reportedly been told she had Type 2 Diabetes, along with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, according to the website KWGN.com.

"I feel great, I'm off all of my medication," stated Crowthers.