Some Slightly Obese May Gain From Weight-Loss Surgery, Guidelines Say

Even people who are slightly obese could be candidates for weight-loss surgery under new guidelines released by three U.S. medical groups. The groups recommended that eligibility for weight-loss (bariatric) surgery be expanded to include mildly to moderately obese people with diabetes or metabolic syndrome, which is a group of conditions that put people at increased risk for heart disease and diabetes. Under the new rules, eligible patients would have a body-mass index (BMI) of 30 to 34.9. BMI is a measurement of body fat based on height and weight. There is not enough current evidence, however, to recommend weight-loss surgery for blood sugar control alone, fat lowering alone or heart disease risk reduction alone, independent of BMI criteria, the guidelines said. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_135962.html