Diets and drugs have failed to assure permanent weight loss in the nutritionally challenged population. By remaining obese this group is at increased risk of the complications of hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, degenerative joint disease and many other conditions. Weight loss results in increased longevity and a reduction in premature death. Significant quality of life improvements and reduction of complications can be achieved by relatively modest degrees of permanent weight loss.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend that surgery be limited to patients whose weight/height2 ratio (click here for our BMI Calculator ) is 40 kg/meter2 (kg/m2) or more. This corresponds to a weight of 225 lb in a female of 5'3" or 270 lb in a male of 5'9", or roughly 100 pounds more than the ideal weight for height. In individuals who suffer other serious disorders (known as co-morbidities) such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease etc, a lower threshold for surgery (35 kg/m2) is accepted.
