FAQs – Bariatric Surgery

By 2025 more than 80 per cent of Australians will be overweight or obese according to the Monash Obesity and Diabetes Institute.

As a result of the obesity epidemic, the number of Australians undergoing bariatric surgery has increased from 500 in 1988 to 17,000 per year in recent decades.

Australian Gov Dept of Health (2009)

You should speak to your doctor about bariatric surgery if

• Your BMI is more than 30
• You have problems linked to weight such as sleep apnoea, asthma, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and arthritis
• Your weight is limiting certain activities of daily living
• You are concerned about missing out on those extra years of life

• Your risk of premature death and obesity-related illness reduces dramatically.
• Obesity surgery reduces and often resolves symptoms of obesity-related sleep apnoea, arthritis and diabetes.
• Cancer risk reduces too, with obesity now a significant risk factor for many cancers.
• You will embark on a healthier lifestyle with regular follow-up, improved diet and exercise programs.
• You will typically lose a significant amounts of weight
• Weight loss can improve your self-confidence and overall wellbeing.

Speak to your doctor about surgery if:

• Your BMI is more than 30
• If your BMI is between 25 and 30 with related  health problems caused by excess weight such as sleep apnoea, asthma, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and arthritis
• You have diabetes related to obesity. In more than 80 per cent of cases this can be resolved or reduced post-surgery