Criteria for selection of patients for bariatric surgery.

International criteria for bariatric surgery and bariatric surgeons have been well-defined in terms of the current state of the art and are presented together with weight tables and a list of co-morbidities of morbid obesity. The bariatric surgeon should make the primary judgement concerning bariatric surgery using these criteria as guidelines only, not strict rules; others who use these criteria should govern themselves in a like, fair-minded, fashion. Medical insurers' and their agents' criteria, if excessively restrictive relative to the guidelines, may reflect an ingrained prejudice against the morbidly obese, manifesting itself in an unfair, unethical and immoral bias. It is the essence of humane and equitable behaviour on the part of all concerned that the morbidly obese receive non-discriminatory, appropriate treatment, care and medical insurer coverage for their disease and its comorbidities.