When a bariatric surgeon [http://www.midsouthbariatrics.com] is assessing a patient for weight loss surgery, whether it be gastric bypass surgery, lap band surgery or another bariatric procedure, we still rely on the body mass index (BMI) as the most basic tool in deciding a patient's eligibility. Current protocols are that patients typically qualify for surgery if their BMI is 40 or higher. Patients are considered for weight loss surgery with a lower BMI if they have comorbidity. Which is to say if there is another concomitant condition the patient is suffering from that could be relieved from the surgery and subsequent weight loss, they would be considered for weight loss surgery.

While this protocol applies to all weight loss surgery [http://www.midsouthbariatrics.com] procedures, new techniques on the horizon are potentially developing new options for bariatric patients. For example, current medical trials are evaluating the use of the Lap Band in patients with a BMI between 30 and 40 without comorbidities. These are ongoing trials, but the results may show that some bariatric procedures should not be limited to only those patients with morbid obesity or severe co-medical problems.

BMI itself is hardly a new technique for evaluating weight loss surgery patients. It was developed in Europe more than 150 years ago. Its popularity seems to be partly due to its simplicity. It doesn't directly measure body fat, instead it is a basic calculation of your height in proportion to your weight and gives you a number based on that calculation. The use of BMI has grown especially in the last 30 years or so and has become the basic standard for measuring obesity by the World Health Organization. The BMI categorical measurements are: from 18.5 to 22.9 is considered normal, 23 to 27.5 is considered overweight, 27.6 to 40 is considered obese and anything above 40 is considered morbidly obese.

While the BMI is an extremely useful tool for a bariatric surgeon when evaluating patients for weight loss surgery, it is just that...a tool. It becomes part of a set of tools in measuring the patients' needs and also a tool for measuring a patients' progress once they have undergone a procedure. Furthermore, the benefits of weight loss are well known. Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and hypertension are all conditions that can be relieved as a result of weight loss surgery. A study by the University of Florida found that by the age of 50, among non-smokers, the risk of death among obese populations was two to three times higher than it is for those with a normal BMI. With weight loss surgery continuing to grow in popularity, bariatric surgeons will continue to use BMI as a vital component of assessing patients for weight loss surgery.