A new study finds that following gastric bypass surgery a person is more susceptible to the effects of alcohol than somebody who has not had the weight loss procedure

A new study finds that following gastric bypass surgery for weight loss, people who consume alcohol will get drunk faster than people who have not had the surgery.

According to scientists, this is the case because bypass surgery cuts down the amount of alcohol that is metabolized by the stomach, resulting in more entering into a person's blood stream.

"At the end of the day, this is the only enduring and effective intervention for morbid obesity," stressed study senior author Dr. John Morton, director of bariatric surgery at Stanford Hospitals and Clinics. "We don't want to deny them, but we want to make sure they are fully prepared to meet these challenges after surgery."

Over 150,000 Americans have already went under the knife for gastric bypass surgery in an attempt to lose weight, and many more Americans are pondering the idea. It is hard to say if any of these people will change their minds now that they know of an unsettling side effect of the surgery.

"This might let folks know to be a little more careful if they have a drink," added Dr. Joaquin Rodriguez, assistant professor of surgery at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine and chief of minimally invasive surgery at Scott & White Hospital in Temple. "They need just to be aware that the same amount of alcohol may affect them differently than someone who hasn't had a gastric bypass," said Rodriguez, who was not involved in the research.

The study was to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, in San Diego.