BMI stands for Body Mass Index. It is the measure that insurance companies and other institutions use to help determine who qualifies for bariatric surgery, or for a non-surgical procedure like the Orbera balloon. The way BMI is calculated is by taking your height in meters, and dividing it by the square of your weight in kilograms. Even though BMI alone can’t be used to decide if you should have bariatric surgery, it is an important starting point and guideline.
Note: A BMI of 30 – 34.9 or BMI 35 – 39.9 with no comorbidities qualify for lap band but is usually not covered by insurance.