The federal Food and Drug Administration has approved drastic lap-band surgery for people who are less obese than under the agencys previous guidelines.
The new guidelines affect people who have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 and up and who have not been able to lose weight by other means.
The previous guidelines put the BMI at 35 and up.
Some examples of newly qualifying patients: a person who is 56 and weighs 186 pounds, or someone who is 511 and weighs 215 pounds. Millions of Americans fall within the new guidelines.
Prospective patients mustalso have a serious condition like high blood pressure.
The surgery works by using a band around the stomach, reducing its size so the patient feels fuller after eating less food.
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