What other factors are used to determine if a person is a good candidate for bariatric surgery?

For most people, BMI is the most important factor However, your doctor needs to carefully consider your current physical and emotional health as well. For example, if you have recently had cancer treatment, major surgery, a heart attack, or a cardiac procedure, your doctor may feel that you should wait a period of time before considering bariatric surgery. With regard to emotional health, people with a history of anorexia nervosa are generally not considered good candidates for this surgery. Likewise, uncontrolled bulimia is generally a contraindication for bariatric surgery. If you have had an eating disorder in the past but have been well controlled for a long time, your doctor may consider you a good candidate.

Finally, if you have long-standing psychiatric difficulties such as schizophrenia or manic depression you are unlikely to be a good candidate for weight loss surgery. I would like to emphasize that these criteria are simply rules of thumb; nothing is in stone. Each person has a unique set of circumstances. The final decision is ultimately up to you, your personal physician, and your bariatric surgeon.