How to Qualify for a Lap-Band

Obesity is one of the most prevalent health problems in the United States and can lead to various diseases including heart failure and diabetes. As of 2009, no state met the goal of Healthy People 2010, a public-private initiative, of no more than 15 percent of adult residents being obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Traditional methods of losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight include exercise, diet and a healthy lifestyle. When traditional methods fail, several surgical options are available, including the Lap-Band System, but not everyone may qualify as a candidate for the Lap-Band System.

Instructions

• 1

  Calculate your BMI. Stand with your back flat against a wall. Hold a pencil flat on top of your head and make a light mark on the wall indicating your height. Use a measuring tape to measure your height in feet and inches. Stand on a weight scale to determine your weight. Enter your height and weight into the appropriate BMI calculator on the CDC website to obtain your BMI.

  You may qualify for Lap-Band if you have a BMI of at least 40 or 35 and higher if you have one or more obesity-related health conditions or if you are at least 100 lbs. overweight, according to the company's website.

• 2

  Meet minimum qualifications. Minimum qualifications established by the Lap-Band manufacturer include:

  --Age (18 and over)

  --Duration of overweight status (minimum five years)

  --Serious traditional weight-loss attempts (with only short-term success)

  --Not suffering from a disease that may have caused excess weight

  --Willing to make major changes in lifestyle and eating habits

  --No excessive alcohol consumption

  --Not pregnant

• 3

  Have no disqualifying attributes. Disqualifying attributes established by the Lap-Band manufacturer include, but are not limited to, the following:

  --An inflammatory disease or condition like ulcers, severe esophagitis or Crohn's disease

  --Any disease that makes you a poor candidate for surgery, like heart or lung disease

  --Any problem that can cause bleeding in the esophagus or stomach

  --Portal hypertension

  --Abnormal esophagus, stomach or intestine

  --Previous injury to the area where the Lap-Band would be placed

  --Cirrhosis

  --Chronic pancreatitis

  --Addiction to alcohol or drugs

  --An infection that could prevent surgery

  --Undertaking chronic, long-term steroid treatment

  --Allergies to materials within the device

  --Low tolerance for pain from an implanted device

  --Having or having someone in your family with an autoimmune connective tissue disease (ACTD) or having symptoms of an ACTD