When it comes to evaluating your weight, one of the first assessments is the body mass index (BMI) calculator, which measures the amount of fat in your body based on your height and weight. The calculation is very basic and doesn’t take into account a lot of information, but it is a starting point in figuring out where your weight lies in the overall picture.
At Rockwall Surgical Specialists, our highly skilled team offers weight loss surgery to patients who have potentially dangerous BMI calculations. But surgery isn’t for everyone.
To help you figure out when you might need our help in gaining control over your weight, it’s important that you first understand what your BMI number may be telling you.
To measure your body mass index, all you need to do is input your height and weight into a BMI calculator, which then figures out the potential percentage of fat in your body. If you haven't already measured your BMI, click on this link to get your BMI number before reading further.
Once you have your BMI calculation, your next step is to see where it fits within the following established ranges:
Based on BMI numbers alone, the National Institutes of Health report that one in three adults is overweight, two in five adults are obese, and one in 11 adults is severely obese.
As we mentioned, the BMI calculator is a great first step in evaluating your weight, but the tool does have its limits. This simple measurement doesn’t take into account gender, pre-existing medical conditions, or having a lot of muscle.
For example, if you’re an athlete who has ample musculature, you’re likely carrying more weight. When you input your weight and height into the BMI calculator, it reads the weight in terms of fat, giving you a higher reading.
Evaluating you for bariatric surgery often starts with the BMI. In most cases, we recommend weight loss surgery for those who have a BMI of 40 or higher. We drop this number down to 35 or higher if you have a weight-related health condition, such as diabetes, liver disease, or heart disease.
These guidelines, however, are just that. We consider each person on a case-by-case basis.
For example, if you’ve tried for years to lose weight and you’re still stuck at a BMI of 34, we can take a closer look at whether you may benefit from weight loss surgery. Or if you have a health issue that poses an immediate threat and you need to lose weight quickly, bariatric surgery may be the best approach.
In other words, there are circumstances outside your BMI number that may make you a good candidate for weight loss surgery.
If you have more questions about your BMI and our weight loss surgery options, please contact one of our locations in Rowlett, Rockwall, Greenville, Terrell, or Forney, Texas, to set up a consultation.
