How overweight should you be to get a gastric bypass?

Answer 1

Gastric Bypass surgery is not just an operation - it's a complete lifestyle change. Generally it's only advised when a patient is obese to the point that their obesity is causing other health problems, or preventing current health problems from getting better. Some examples of health problems that are improved by GB surgery are high blood pressure, Type 2 Diabetes, GERD (Reflux Disease), etc.

After having the procedure, since will be limited as to how much food you can physically eat, your lifestyle will have to change dramatically, and you'll have to adjust to it for the rest of your life. Like other procedures that can be reversed, GB is permanent once done. And contrary to popular belief, you can in fact gain weight again after having it.

With GB surgery, there are also many risks involved, as well as the many side effects after surgery as the body reacts to the rapid weight loss over the months following the procedure. Mood changes, hair loss, temperature intolerance, body aches, etc. are just a few.

The most significant risk is of course death, with a 1 in 200/300 chance of dying, depending on age and health (and apparently insurance - Medicare patients tend to be at higher risk of death. Hmm...).

Others are mineral deficiency, gallstones, kidneystones, stomach ulcers, and others much worse, like blood clots.

The other thing not noted in many (if any) information concerning GB is plastic surgery. If you are severely obese, GB will drop your weight considerably, to the point that extra skin from being obese will literally be hanging off of your arms, legs, stomach, etc. One of my friends had GB done about 15 years ago, and he lost 300 lbs. But the amount of skin hanging off of him was incredible, and it took several operations to take care of that. I've not seen that reported - can't imagine why......

Wilson-Phillips singer (and Brian Wilson's daughter) Carnie Wilson did discuss the skin problem publicly in her People magazine interview after her GB surgery. She is one of the more famous people to have had the procedure and talk about it openly, and to give others advice and support on the subject. Conversely, it's also her and Al Roker's procedures being public that have since raised the procedure by the media as a 'cure-all" for obesity. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Ref: Mayo Clinic, Gastric Bypass: What to Expect More input To qualify for this type of weight loss surgery you need to be 'morbidly obese.' This usually means being overweight by 80 pounds if you are female or 100 pounds if you are male. In addition, your Body Mass Index (BMI) must be 40+. In other cases (whether male or female), surgery may be agreed to if you are 80 pounds overweight, with a Body Mass Index of 35+, and have an obesity-related condition such as type 2 diabetes or life-threatening conditions such as obesity-related Heart disease or severe sleep apnea. (The above criteria may differ slightly from country to country.)

Answer 2

First, it's best advised to calculate if you're even overweight. A BMI (Body Mass Index) calculator can determine your weight being under, in the range, or over. Once determined if overweight, seeking a medical profession's advice would be the next step.

Answer 3

Weight loss from gastric bypass surgery varies from person to person. However, people lose on average 61 percent of their excess weight after gastric bypass surgery according to WebMD. So how much weight is loss from the surgery depends on what the ideal weight for your body size is and how many pounds overweight a person is considered to be. Most people should on average lose 61 percent of their extra weight they carry that is over body sizes ideal weight after the gastric bypass surgery. So if 61 percent of your excess weight is equal to 100 pounds then the answer is yes.

Answer 4

Gastric bypass surgery can help you loose as much weight at you want. With this type of surgery you can expect to loose around ten to fifteen pounds per month and you should probably only loose a total of about one hundred and fifty to two hundred pounds.

Answer 5

If you qualify for any other bariatric surgery, you qualify for Duodenal Switch. The requirements are no different than those for Gastric Bypass, Lap Band, etc.

Answer 6

The weight that is too heavy!