Morbid obesity is a chronic disease that afflicts approximately nine million adult Americans. Often, individuals with morbid obesity suffer from several interrelated diseases, creating an overarching condition that can shorten life span and negatively impact quality of life.

But morbid obesity is treatable and Dr. Oz is going to show you how it can be beaten.

Over the course of this one-hour program, Doctors Oz and Roizen will introduce viewers to three people who are taking very different paths to treat their life-threatening conditions — diet and exercise, medication and surgery. They'll help them, and us, understand the challenges that each of them face and illustrate that while some paths are quicker than others, all require substantial life-changes in order to work.

The Dr. Oz Files: Defeating Obesity premieres May 14 at 10:00 pm ET/PT. Check for more airdates and get an email reminder.