Is Weight Loss Surgery Right for Me? 

That is a question that a lot of interested individuals ask themselves. Weight loss surgery can help to increase the quality of a person's life as well improve a person's overall health. However, weight loss surgery is not for everyone. Healthcare providers at weight loss centers recommend it for people who:

• Have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more. This would be about 100 pounds overweight for men or 80 pounds for women. Please click here to obtain your BMI
• Have a lower BMI (between 35 and 40) but also have a serious health problem related to obesity, like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, severe sleep apnea, or high cholesterol
• Have tried and failed to lose weight by other means
• Fully understand the risks involved with weight loss surgery, as well as understand that the surgery is only a tool; the patient still has to be compliant with nutritional guidelines as well as exercise requirements

Even if you meet these basic criteria, there's a lot more you have to consider. Perhaps most importantly, you need to be mentally ready. Weight loss surgery can be lifesaving, but it is not a cure. Instead, it's the first step in a lifelong commitment. For any surgery to help, you need to be dedicated to making dramatic and permanent changes to how you eat, exercise, and live. We encourage interested individuals to speak with their primary care physician and/or another provider involved in their health care delivery team to help assess if weight loss surgery is a recommended option. We also encourage all interested individuals to attend one of our free information sessions so that they can learn more about our weight loss center in Maryland as well as to get a better understanding as to what is really involved in weight loss surgery. We believe that these information sessions allow interested individudals to make a more informed decision as to whether or not to pursue this journey to a healthier life.