Do I Qualify for Weight Loss Surgery?

There is no standard weight over which you become a suitable candidate for weight loss surgery. This is because the taller you are, the more weight you can safely carry. To allow for this, we use a formula knows as the Body Mass Index, or BMI for short.

Phone Gravitas to get your BMI

Calculating your Body Mass Index

BMI is calculated by taking you weight in kilograms, divided by your height in metres. The answer is then divided a second time by your height in meters.

For example: a 100kg person who is 1.7 metres tall would have a BMI of 100 ÷ 1.7 = 58.8 ÷ 1.7 = BMI 34.6

The upper limit of a healthy BMI is 25. If your BMI goes over 40, this is a level of obesity known as morbid obesity which is strongly associated with risk of further serious health problems.

BMI is used to weigh up the risks and benefits of weight loss surgery. The lower limit for surgery, first introduced in 1991, was set at 40 (or 35 if you already had additional medical problems that would improve after weight loss). A recent recommendation by the American Food and Drug Administration Advisory Board (FDA regulate medical treatments in the USA) has supported gastric band procedures for some patients with additional health problems, who have a BMI as low as 30 and BMI 35 in patients with no other existing weight related health issues.

Gravitas support this change as our own carefully audited clinical outcomes have shown the band to be an extremely safe option.

If you are unsure about calculating your BMI but are concerned that you are seriously overweight, call us on 08452 515 515 and we will calculate your BMI for you.

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