What makes a good candidate for weight-loss surgery?

Multiple Reasons: Ever patient is different. First of all you should be a certain weight and factor in any other medical problems such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, etc. Also the ideal candidate is someone who can stick to a specific diet and exercise regimen before and after surgery.

Weight & attitude: Ideally, candidates for weight loss surgery should be 75-100 pounds overweight ((bmi >40) and should have tried other nutritional an medical options. This prior nutritional experience is very valuable in terms of postop success. If other medical conditions exist (diabetes, sleep apnea, hypertension, high cholesterol, joint and back disease) then surgery seems to rise to awareness at a bmi of 35.

Good weight loss: Besides criteria bmi - best are people willing to change lifestyle and what they eat and willing to learn to cook.

Weight loss surgery: Good candidates are patients who: 1) have a bmi in the appropriate range to qualify for surgery, 2) have demonstratable failure at supervised diet and exercise plans, 3) have had no prior stomach surgeries, and 4) understand that surgery is a tool to help them achieve long standing weight loss, rather than a magic wand - it is the hardest, but also the, most successful way to loose weight.