Chimneychonga:
I suppose in that sense, you're right. There will be fringe cases where this will be a known workaround. But I've seen cases (namely Boogie2988) where people treat bariatric surgery as a miracle cure, and from sheer ignorance either drink their calories to undo their weight loss, or stretch their stomach so far that they're back to square one. You could argue the cost per year where it's better than placebo, but if that ever happened to me I'd be pissed even though it would technically be my fault in that case.
Beloved, don't use Boogie as an example. That man's life is a series of poor decisions after poor decisions, and he ignores the people in his life who give him good advice.
Also, anyone going into bariatric surgery is quickly disabused of the notion that very early on. They have to see a barrage of specialists to confirm they are candidates for the surgery. They are told in
graphic detail everything they can expect before, during, and after. Also, their doctors check in with them after the surgery to ensure they follow what they must do after the fact.
I've seen the paperwork alone, and it takes time to determine whether you are a qualified candidate. It is ... a lot. If a bariatric patient comes away from the prep work thinking this is a magic cure, they literally paid attention to nothing. I'm also dating someone who has had the surgery in the past, so I am very familiar with the aftercare.
Also, medical leeches are not fringe. Their use is not super common, but that is only because their use is very narrow. They are primarily used with reconstructive microsurgery. Fringe medicine is any treatment not widely accepted as part of western medicine.
While I don't love that definition as it can include traditional medicine in non-western cultures that do work, most use it for things like drinking salty cabbage water to reverse aging, wearing copper bracelets to ease arthritis pain, or sticking a slice of potato in your socks to cure a cold.