I was at a bmi of 38%, 247.8 lbs, but with congestive heart failure and early onset of Type II diabestes and only 46 yo. I had someone tell me I wasn't 'fat' enough to get lap-banded (she had been more than a 150 lbs overweight when she had it done), but I said that my health was deteriorating and my weight steadily going up...I didn't want to wait until my risk for dying during the operation increase significantly...I saw where I was going and I decided to stop the trend. Lap-banding is a tool, it helps you control some actions, but it isn't going to stop you from eating the bad stuff like ice cream or mashed potatos and gravey. As long as you looking forward with the right frame of mind, I saw go for it!