Am I Morbidly Obese?

Answering this question will help make clear your need for weight loss and your options for a more healthy weight. Below are tools you can use to determine if you are morbidly obese and potentially a candidate for weight loss surgery.

There are several medically accepted criteria for defining morbid obesity. You are likely morbidly obese if you are:

• More than 100 pounds over your ideal body weight
• Have a body mass index (BMI) of over 40
• Have a BMI of over 35 and are experiencing severe negative health effects, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, related to being severely overweight
• Unable to achieve a healthy body weight for a sustained period of time, even through medically supervised dieting

Select your gender, and then move the red slider handles or select your height and weight to calcluate your BMI. The results of the BMI calculations are displayed below. Note that these are approximate values, and are intended to be used only as a rough guide.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or health care provider. We encourage you to discuss with your doctor any questions or concerns you may have.