Obesity Treatments

Understanding Your BMI Result and Next Steps

Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is a helpful screening tool that estimates whether your weight falls within a healthy range for your height. More importantly, it helps guide decisions about medical and surgical options for weight management. Treatment recommendations are based not only on BMI, but also on your overall health, existing medical conditions, and personal goals.

When BMI Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story

While BMI is a useful guide, it does not directly measure body fat, muscle mass, or fat distribution. There are situations where BMI may not accurately reflect your health:

• High muscle mass (e.g. athletes) may result in a higher BMI without excess body fat

• Central (abdominal) fat can increase health risks even if BMI is in a lower range

• Some individuals with a higher BMI may have normal metabolic health, while others with a lower BMI may have abnormal metabolic health

For this reason, your care should always be individualised. A comprehensive assessment including medical history, blood tests, and body composition provides a much clearer picture than BMI alone.

Below is a guide to what your BMI range may mean and the most appropriate treatment pathways.

BMI < 27: Healthy weight or mild excess weight

If your BMI is below 27, medical or surgical obesity treatment is generally not indicated.

Recommended Approach:

• Focus on lifestyle optimisation, including:

  • Balanced nutrition

  • Regular physical activity

  • Sleep and stress management

• Address any early metabolic concerns (e.g. insulin resistance, high cholesterol, high blood pressure)

When to Seek Further Advice:

• If you have central obesity (excess abdominal fat)

• If you have a strong family history of metabolic disease

• If you are experiencing difficulty maintaining a healthy weight despite best efforts

BMI 27–30: Upper overweight range

At this stage, excess weight may begin to impact metabolic health, especially if other risk factors are present.

Available Treatments:

• Structured lifestyle intervention programs

• Medical therapy (weight loss medications), particularly if:

  • You have obesity-related conditions (e.g., type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnoea)

  • Lifestyle measures alone have not been effective

Common Medical Options:

• GLP-1 receptor agonists (e.g., semaglutide, wegovy, ozempic, tirzepatide, mounjaro), which:

  • Reduce appetite

  • Improve blood sugar control

  • Support sustainable weight loss

Optimal Strategy:

A combined approach of lifestyle modification plus medical therapy (when appropriate) offers the best outcomes.

At this level, the risk of obesity-related health conditions increases significantly.

Available Treatments:

• Comprehensive lifestyle intervention

• Medical therapy (GLP-1 medications and others)

• Consideration of bariatric surgery, particularly if:

  • You have type 2 diabetes or other metabolic conditions

  • Previous non-surgical treatments have not been successful

Optimal Strategy:

• Medical therapy is often first-line

• Early discussion of surgical options is appropriate, as surgery offers the most effective and durable weight loss for many patients in this category

This range is associated with a high risk of serious health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, and sleep apnoea.

Available Treatments:

• Medical therapy, including GLP-1 medications

• Bariatric surgery

Surgical Options May Include:

• Sleeve gastrectomy

• Gastric bypass

Optimal Strategy:

• Bariatric surgery is typically the most effective and recommended treatment

• Medications may fail to achieve enough weight loss and the risk of weight regain once stopping medication is very high at this BMI level

Your Next Step

Choosing the right treatment is a personal decision that should be made with expert guidance.

A consultation allows us to:

• Assess your overall health and goals

• Discuss the full range of treatment options

• Develop a tailored plan that is safe, effective, and sustainable

If you’re ready to take the next step, we’re here to help guide you through your journey.