Understanding Obesity and How It Relates to Weight-Loss Surgery Requirements
| Date Posted: 5/7/2012 | Author: Mandy McCue
Maintaining a healthy weight as you age can become difficult for some people. As our metabolism slows down, we aren’t as physically active as we once were and caring for our family can put a healthy lifestyle goal on the back burner. The number of obese adults in America has almost doubled in the last 10 years. Currently, according to the Centers of Disease Control (CDC), 35.7% of all American adults are overweight or considered obese.
Not only does a slower metabolism affect obesity, but family history and genetics, behavior or diet and exercise, or lack thereof, can all be contributors.
Obesity is defined as having an excessive amount of body fat. This is tested with the Body Mass Index (BMI). A BMI scale compares your height and weight and ranks it on the scale. A BMI of 18.5-24.9 is considered normal weight, 25-29.9 is considered overweight and any BMI over 30 is considered obese.
Weight-loss surgery isn’t right for everybody.FirstHealthBariatricCenterinNorth Carolinafollows the National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidelines to determine if bariatric surgery is a good option. The NIH defines candidacy for weight-loss surgery as follows:
- BMI of 40 or higher OR
- BMI of 35-40 and you have obesity co-morbidities, such as high blood pressure or diabetes
AND
- Are between the ages of 18-60
- Are more than 100 pounds over your ideal weight
- Have a history of failure to control weight through diet or exercise
Click here to see if you qualify for bariatric surgery.
If you do, you can attend one of our free bi-monthly bariatric surgery seminars help on the first Thursday and the third Monday of every month. Register for this free weight-loss surgery seminar today!
FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in partnership with Pinehurst Surgical has all the resources you need when it comes to weight loss and weight loss surgery. Our comprehensive Bariatric Surgical Program serves patients in the Pinehurst, Sanford, Raeford, Laurinburg, Lumberton, Troy and Rockingham regions of North Carolina and beyond. Call (800) 213-3284 with questions or for more information.
