U.S. researchers have suggested that people with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 40 have a good chance of keeping heart health problems (cardiovascular disease) at bay with bariatric surgery. The weight-loss surgery is usually performed on patients with a BMI of 40 or higher, or those that are at least 100 pounds over their healthy weight, which is considered morbidly obese. A healthy BMI ranges between 18.5 and 25. However, people with a BMI greater than 35 that may be suffering from a life-threatening illness such as non-insulin dependent diabetes or heart disease, may be eligible for bariatric procedures such as gastric bypass and lap-band surgeries. Research has shown that those that otherwise healthy overweight people with a BMI lower than 40 may benefit more from the surgeries than people who are morbidly obese.

The study, which originated at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, is one of the first of its kind to evaluate the risk factor relationship between BMI and cardiovascular disease and how it relates to bariatric surgery guidelines. The research team studied 17,200 adults who had a BMI greater than 20, and assessed their heart disease risk factors in regards to their BMI.

They discovered a smaller subgroup of people who had a BMI lower than 40 but who had significant heart disease risk factors. This suggests that those people that are considered obese but not morbidly obese could benefit from bariatric procedures such as lap-band and gastric bypass surgery, which can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. It was posited that some morbidly obese people may be more efficient at storing fat in their cells as opposed to moderately overweight individuals, so it does not have as much of a damaging effect on the cardiovascular system.