BMI

[amtraut81 3]

Do they consider your waist size along with height and weight for your BMI?

[kristy3k 1,133]

Not on anything I have seen

date of surgery 02/21/12 surgery weight 340 lbs. current weight 146 lbs

[SoccerMomma73 1,867]

Nope, BMI is a calculation using height and weight. Now your insurance company may consider waist circumference separately but it's not part of your BMI.

[DLCoggin 1,788]

BMI is the almost universal gauge for qualifying patients for bariatric surgery and there is no indication (that I'm aware of) that would point to that changing any time soon.

But some doctors and researchers believe that waist measurement, relative to hip measurement or height, may be a better indicator of risk for developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and other serious diseases. All body fat is not created equal. Belly fat has been shown to be considerably more dangerous and damaging than other types. That's why you'll sometimes read that an "apple shaped" body (more belly fat) is a greater cause for concern than a "pear shaped" body (more hip and thigh fat). Harvard School of Public Health has an interesting article on the subject - http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-definition/abdominal-obesity/ .