The Coalition Against Morbid Obesity had a news conference Thursday in Montreal to highlight the health dangers the province's at-risk patients face, particularly waits as long as seven years for the procedure, The Gazette newspaper reported.

The group's co-founder, Jennifer Schultz, said 3,500 people in Quebec are on waiting lists for bariatric surgery, which can involve surgical reduction of the stomach or colonic bypasses. The surgeries cost up to $17,500 and are performed 1,000 times per year in the province, the report said.

The World Health Organization has published material saying bariatric surgery the only effective treatment for morbid obesity, which can lead to life-threatening conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes, as well as weight-stress risks of ankle and knee injuries, the report said.