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Am I a Candidate?

You may have been struggling with your weight for years, trying one diet or exercise program after another, with varying results. You may feel frustrated and are wondering what else you can do to lose weight. You are not alone. When your BMI (Body Mass Index) is greater than 35, you only have a 1% chance of reaching and maintaining a normal body weight. That means that it is almost impossible to reach your goals with diet and exercise alone. You may have been wondering if bariatric surgery could be the answer and if it is right for you.

BMI Chart

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of your health risk based on height and weight. Consult the chart below or use this online calculator to see if you're at a healthy weight.

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Who qualifies for bariatric surgery?

  • Age 18-65 years (greater than 65 may be considered with MD approval)
  • BMI greater than or equal to 40 kg/m2 or greater than or equal to 35 kg/m2 with comorbidities
  • Lower BMI may be considered with insurance approval
  • BMI must be less than 60 kg/m
  • Previous, unsuccessful attempts at losing weight with diet & exercise

You may be wondering if you would qualify for bariatric surgery. New guidelines just came out from the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders. These new guidelines lower the threshold for recommending bariatric surgery. These new guidelines for bariatric surgery include:

  1. A BMI greater than or equal to 35, regardless of comorbidities 
  2. A BMI of 30.0-34.9 with comorbidities (diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, heart disease, fatty liver, gastroesophageal reflux disease, etc.)
  3. Hard to control diabetes with a BMI greater than or equal to 30.0

However, most insurance companies have yet to adopt these new recommendations.

Please check with your insurance company to clarify their bariatric surgery criteria. Bariatric surgeons may have additional criteria specific to them and the hospital where they perform surgery. Some of the additional criteria may include age, size limits, drug/alcohol/tobacco use, and mental/physical comorbidities. These additional criteria are to keep you safe and make sure that you have the best results after surgery.