Are You Overweight?

About Body Mass Index

Typically, individuals with a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 35 (or those over BMI 30 with metabolic disease) may benefit from weight loss surgery.

However, that figure can vary depending on your ethnic background. For example, fat distribution – the location of fat on the body – can vary across different ethnicities.

These differences in typical fat distribution mean that a patient of Asian or Indigenous ethnicity may be a candidate for weight loss surgery if their BMI exceeds 30, while typically a Caucasian person would require their BMI to be over 35 before considering weight loss surgery.

About Body Mass Index

Typically, individuals with a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 35 may require Life Weight Loss surgery.

However, that figure can vary depending on your ethnic background. For example, fat distribution – the location of fat on the body – can vary across different ethnicities.

These differences in typical fat distribution mean that a patient of Asian ethnicity may be a candidate for weight loss surgery if their BMI exceeds 30, while typically a Caucasian person would require their BMI to be over 35 before considering weight loss surgery as a legitimate health management strategy.

Am I a Candidate for Weight Loss Surgery

After being properly assessed you are a potential candidate if you have a BMI:

• 35 or higher if suffering from an obesity related co-morbidity
  
• 30 or higher and suffer from Metabolic Disease especially Type 2 Diabetes.

Do you have the "Four Highs of Obesity"?

If your Body Mass Index (BMI) is greater than 25, you may need to consider whether you have metabolic effects, the Four Highs:

1 - High Waist Circumference

2 - High Blood Pressure

3 - High Cholesterol

4 - High Blood Sugar

Risks Associated with being Overweight or Obese

Being overweight increases the risk of a number of serious diseases and health conditions. Below is a list of these risks:

• High blood pressure
• Higher levels of LDL cholesterol, which is widely considered "bad cholesterol," lower levels of HDL cholesterol, considered to be good cholesterol in moderation, and high levels of triglycerides
• Type II diabetes
• Coronary heart disease
• Stroke
• Gallbladder disease
• Osteoarthritis, a type of joint disease caused by breakdown of joint cartilage
• Sleep apnea and breathing problems
• Certain cancers (endometrial, breast, colon, kidney, gallbladder, liver)
• Lower quality of life
• Mental illnesses such as clinical depression, anxiety, and others
• Body pains and difficulty with certain physical functions
• Generally, an increased risk of mortality compared to those with a healthy BMI

Is Weight Loss Surgery Right For Me?

If you fit into any of the classes of obesity, or overweight with metabolic disease, then weight loss surgery may be the solution you have been looking for.  This depends on a number of factors - other medical issues and previous surgery and the two key factors.

Smoking - all patients are required to be non-smokers or off cigarettes/vapes for at least 3 months prior to surgery.

Age - Patients are typically between 18 - 65 years of age. Aurora Bariatrics does not see patients under 18 years old.