Research
Energy balance
Weight loss (bariatric) surgery is recommended for patients with a BMI of 40 kg/m2 or higher and for those with a BMI of 35 kg/m2 or greater with at least 1 obesity-related comorbidity.
Practitioners should consider bariatric surgery for eligible patients based on BMI and comorbidities.
StrongSupportsmedium confidence
In 2013, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the Obesity Society, and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery issued a guideline that recommended weight loss (bariatric) surgery for all patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 kg/m2 or higher and for those with a BMI of 35 kg/m2 or greater in the presence of at least 1 obesity-related comorbidity.
Why this rating
Based on guidelines from reputable organizations.
Source
Should This Patient Have Weight Loss Surgery?
Gerald W. Smetana et al. · Annals of Internal Medicine · 2017
DOI 10.7326/m17-0698
otherCited 4×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
Related findings · Energy balance
- Achieving a total body weight loss of 10-15% (or >10-15 kg) through Total Diet Replacement (TDR) induces remission of Type 2 Diabetes in individuals with short-duration disease.Strong
- Bariatric surgery is superior to medical management alone for inducing significant long-term weight loss, remission of type 2 diabetes, and reduction in mortality for patients with BMI ≥ 40 or ≥ 35 with comorbidities.Strong
- Achieving type 2 diabetes remission requires significant weight loss (≥15 kg) via major caloric restriction, independent of macronutrient composition.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →