The National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidelines are supported by the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), and former Surgeon General, C. Everett Koop, M.D., author of Shape Up America.

According to the NIH, weight loss surgery is not an option unless you are morbidly obese. This means that you must have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or greater, absent co-morbid illnesses. The BMI can be reduced to 35 when co-morbid illnesses are present. For women, this equates to approximately 80 pounds above ideal weight; for men it is approximately 100 pounds.