BMI 39.9 is it too low??

[westiegirl1]

Hi Blondie I would have loved to but I am at work

 

[marcusbm]

wear heavier clothing and drop a centimetre off your height (or slouch a bit when they measure you).

 

[Big Dave D]

Hi all had my appointment finally on Wednesday and was accepted on the new program. I have to attend the 8 week shape up program, lose 6kg in 6 mths and keep off for 6 mth then will be having surgery in feb 16!!! I saw the surgeon and physiologist and the course leader rang me today for my follow up appointments. has anybody else been on this program? thanks in advance!!!

Congratulations!

Feb 2016 still seems like a long way away. Shame you can't get referred to a London hospital - my provider would most likely send you straight to surgery. I talked through Tier 3 and other weight loss management programs with the surgical team. Their response was "we provide bariatric surgery because diets and programs alone don't work, so there's no point doing them"

The younger you are when you have bariatric surgery, the more life you have remaining. As an obese person, I may have lived until my mid-60's or so, meaning I only have another 25 years or so to go. Now I'm substantially lighter and hope it stays that way, so I'm aiming for 80-90 before I pop my clogs. Gotta be optimistic eh?

Best of luck westiegirl. x

 

[Blondie43]

Hi all had my appointment finally on Wednesday and was accepted on the new program. I have to attend the 8 week shape up program, lose 6kg in 6 mths and keep off for 6 mth then will be having surgery in feb 16!!! I saw the surgeon and physiologist and the course leader rang me today for my follow up appointments. has anybody else been on this program? thanks in advance!!!

Did you go to Hartlepool hospital for this?

 

[marcusbm]

I had a peak BMI of 50.3 but was still told I can't get a referral to tier 3 as I didn't have a co-morbidity on the list (although Peritonitis wasn't considered a morbidity).

 

[*kayy*]

I think it may be luck of the draw as when I was first referred my bmi was 39.7 and consultant told me they round it up to 40 and I have no co morbidity's.

 

[westiegirl1]

Hartlepool are now completing the surgery and was told no waiting list at all but have to do this year as need to show commitment! I have lost 8 stone previously with lighter life and it has taken 6 years for 6 of it to go back on! I would love to have it done tomorrow but know that this is this only way to go unless I fund it myself and we can not afford the £8k plus for the surgery

 

[JJJ]

It does seem ridiculous that anyone should have to put on weight, or fake it a bit, to get accepted. I suppose rationing exists & there has to be a cutoff somewhere

 

[marcusbm]

The BMI is a guideline. If you're broad shoulder and/or naturally muscular then your BMI can be a bit higher and your body fat will be lower compared to someone of a small build. Some people really are big boned! A surgeon should take this into account when saying yes or no. The reason for this is that someone who's weight isn't high enough could face complications due to losing too much weight.

The target for WLS is for the final stable weight to be 25-30 before the benefits of the surgery wear off. Any loss after that should be through more conventional methods. Someone with a lower BMI may lose too much and end up underweight, which has a whole other set of risks and complications.

 

[gill161]

Hi hope you can help me.
You mention "When the benefits of the surgery wear off". I never realised that happened So please could you tell me.....How long Do the benefits last? and What is the effect of them wearing off?
Thanks Gill

 

[marcusbm]

The body adapts after around 18 months to the bypass/sleeve. This is a good thing as it helps to maintain a stable weight rather than continuous loss, which would be exceptionally dangerous. It means the malabsorptive aspects become less but there is still some restriction - less (even less with the sleeve) but not the same as if you didn't have surgery. From this point on it becomes critical to maintain lifestyle change otherwise old habits can kick in and weight can start piling on again.

Remember surgery is a tool, it needs to be used in the right way.