Many factors go into determining if you are a suitable candidate for weight loss surgery. The main weight criteria of the National Institute of Health can be summarized as:

• BMI greater or equal to 35 and have one or more severe obesity-related health problems such as diabetes or sleep apnea among others.

• BMI of 40 or greater with or without associated medical complications of obesity.

There are no absolute age restrictions. The upper age limit is guided more by the fitness of the patient rather than their actual age.

One has to be prepared to attend regular follow-up visits and make changes to diet and physical activity.

Surgery will not be appropriate in the following circumstances:

• Active drug use, alcoholism or untreated psychiatric conditions

• Inflammatory disease or condition of the gastrointestinal tract, such as ulcers, severe esophagitis, or Crohn's disease.

• Conditions that could cause bleeding in the esophagus or stomach. This might include esophageal or gastric varices (a dilated vein). It might also be something such as congenital or acquired intestinal telangiectasia (dilation of a small blood vessel) or portal hypertension.

• Diseases of the esophagus, stomach, or intestine causing scarring or poor mobility, such as scleroderma or autonomic neuropathy.

• Unable or unwilling to follow the dietary and exercise requirements that come with this procedure.

• A family history of autoimmune connective tissue disease. That might be a disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma.

• You have severe heart or lung disease that makes you a poor candidate for surgery. You may however benefit from a smaller staged procedure.

Your Motivation is important for success
While bariatric surgery is effective treatment for morbid obesity, good results require active participation by the patient. You must be committed to new eating and exercise habits for the rest of your life.