I have a friend married to a professor that in at a convention in regards to weight loss and obesity.

This is the email she just sent me.

I wanted to tell you that my huband is at a nutrition/obesity meeting in Atlanta and was told that the requirement to lose weight before weight loss surgery was just dropped. I know you mentioned that insurance co was requiring you to diet before surgery. There is supposed to be absolutely no good evidence for that requirement.

I sure hope this is true. Does anyone else know about this.

Just2b

The medically supervised diet can be for one or two things (or both). Many insurances just flat out require it. It doesn't matter what the surgeon says if the insurance requires it then that's the end if it. Now some insurances don't require it but your surgeon does. If that is the case then you have to follow it or seek a new surgeon. Finally sometimes both the insurance and the doctor require it.

Every insurance and every policy as well as every surgeon has there own rules and regulation. You would think there would be one straight out requirement for everyone but since it's not every insurance carrier and every surgeon can have there own requirements.

Even the term "medically supervised diet" can have multiple meanings. My insurance considered 6 consecutive months of Weight Watchers (Jenny Craig etc) as acceptable. Or 3 months of two different programs. Some surgeons require a nutritionist. Some have a prescribed diet. Every single case is different.

Gosh I have so many questions....I have been told NO asprin for the week before surgery, but nothing else. Was wondering about alcohol? Before surgery or dieting? I am new on here PLEASE help ....

I did not have to go on any kind of diet before surgery or lose any weight. But I was a cash pay. Had surgery on Dec.3 and all is going well.