The NIH (National Institute of Health) established the following criteria for surgical consideration:
- BMI ≥ 40, or more than 100 pounds overweight.
- BMI ≥ 35 and at least two obesity-related co-morbidities such as type II diabetes (T2DM), hypertension, sleep apnea and other respiratory disorders, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, osteoarthritis, lipid abnormalities, gastrointestinal disorders, or heart disease.