Question 1

What is obesity?

Accepted Answer

The simple definition of obesity is excess fat tissue. To quantify what excess is, physicians use the body mass index or BMI as a measurement of excess fat tissue. Your BMI is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared or going to our website and entering your information. A BMI of 22-25 is considered normal, 25-30 overweight, 30-35 obese, 35-40 severely obese, and more than 40 morbidly obese. Our bariatric surgery specialists and most insurance companies consider individuals with a BMI of 40 as candidates for surgery, as well as those with a BMI of 30 with a life-threatening complication from their obesity. You can find out your BMI by using our MBI calculator.