Do I qualify for weight loss surgery?

To qualify for bariatric surgery you must meet one of these criteria:

  1. Your calculated BMI is ≥ 40, in another words, you are more than 100 pounds overweight. (BMI Calculcator)
  2. BMI ≥35 with at least two obesity-related co-morbidities. (click here to see a list of comorbidities)
  3. Inability to achieve a healthy weight loss sustained for a period of time with prior weight loss efforts.

For example, an adult who is 5’11” tall and weighs 290 lbs would have a BMI over 40. Calculate your BMI.

According to the recommendations made by the NIH, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), bariatric surgery is better be performed by a board certified surgeon with specialized experience/training in bariatric and metabolic surgery.

Surgery should take place in a center of excellence (COE) that has a multidisciplinary team of experts for follow-up care. Bariatric team include a nutritionist, an exercise physiologist or specialist, and a mental health professional.