- Over 1.3million people in the UK are considered morbidly
obese and could be considered for bariatric surgery
- Bariatric surgical procedures include laparoscopic gastric banding, laparoscopic gastric bypass, laparoscopic duodenal switch and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy
- In classifying morbid obesity the Body Mass Index (BMI) is the most commonly used as a guide
as to whether someone is obese. It is a ratio of weight
and height (kg/m2)
o BMI = weight (kg) ÷ height (m) ÷height (m)
o For example,
weight 126kg (19.5 stone), height 1.60m (5’4”),
126kg
÷ 1.60m ÷1.60m = 49
BMI Calculator
Please enter your weight and height (in imperial or metric)
in the boxes below, then press the "Calculate BMI"
button
[With thanks to Dr Ian Sidwell,
Somerset Obesity Service]
|
BMI range |
Weight class |
Health risk |
|
BMI 20-25 |
Normal weight |
Normal |
|
BMI 25-30 |
Overweight |
Moderate health risk |
|
BMI 30+ |
Clinically obese |
High health risk |
|
BMI 40+ |
Morbidly obese |
Very high health risk |
|
BMI 50+ |
Super obese |
Extremely high health risk |
-
A BMI over 40 is considered morbidly obese or a BMI over
35 along with other obesity related conditions such as those
mentioned in table below
- Another way to calculate being overweight is by your waist
measurement. Risks increase with a waist measurement of
over 40 inches (102cm) in men and over 35 inches (88cm)
in women
Health risks associated with obesity
Greatly increased
risk |
Moderately
increased risk |
Slightly increased
risk |
| Type 2 diabetes |
Heart disease |
Some cancers |
| Gallbladder disease |
Hypertension |
Reproductive abnormalities |
| Insulin resistance |
Osteoarthritis |
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome |
| Breathlessness |
Gout |
Impaired fertility |
| Sleep apnoea |
|
Low back pain |
| High cholesterol |
|
Anaesthetic complications |
(Department of Health 2006)
If you are thinking about bariatric surgery, calculate your BMI using the BMI calculator above,
and see whether you fall into the morbidly obese category.
If you are eligible for surgery, then the next step is to consider the type of bariatric surgery
that may be right for you, a laparoscopic gastric band, laparoscopic gastric bypass, laparoscopic
duodenal switch or a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. The majority of people choose to have
either the laparoscopic gastric band or laparoscopic gastric bypass.
