The surgical treatment of metabolic disease and morbid obesity.

The disease of obesity has continued to increase in the United States. Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m(2). In 1991, the National Institute of Health Consensus Panel on Gastric Surgery for Severe Obesity defined the population who would most likely benefit from bariatric surgery. These same criteria continue to be used today to determine which patients should undergo metabolic and weight loss surgery. These recommendations include patients who have a BMI greater than 35 kg/m(2) with significant comorbid conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, or obstructive sleep apnea; and patients who have a BMI greater than 40 kg/m(2) with or without any significant comorbid conditions because they have a significant increased risk for developing these conditions.