To Whom It May Concern:

This letter is in support of bariatric surgery for ___________.  She has had a life long struggle with obesity and has attempted numerous methods of weight management without lasting results for over six years that she has been a patient with us.  She has tried various weight loss methods, including Weigh****chers, Atkins, Liquid Protein shakes, GNC’s Release program, The South Beach Diet, Slim Fast, and the 6-week body makeover.  She has participated in exercise programs including two memberships with CURVES, the most recent membership started in January of 2009 and still participating.  ______has met several times with our dietician, and has followed recommendations for her meals.  She has lost weight in some of these programs only to regain the weight and more each time.  She has a strong family history of obesity, Type II diabetes, and heart disease.  At this time, _____is extremely committed to pursuing bariatric surgery.  ______ has been diagnosed with obesity, along with co-morbidities of Type II diabetes and acid reflux.

Her current weight is 235 pounds and height of 5’6".  Her BMI is 37.9.  In the past couple of years her weight has fluctuated between 216 and 235 pounds in our office.  I believe that _____ is extremely motivated and knowledgeable about bariatric surgery and committed to making this a lifelong change.  Her ideal body weight and weight loss goal is approximately 130 pounds.  She is currently taking several medications to manage her Type II diabetes, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, acid reflux and depression.   She has no known allergies.

I feel that ______ has exhausted all of the options available to her other than weight loss surgery.  I find this surgery to be a medical necessity and have referred her to ________, M.D., who specializes in laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery and offers extensive pre and post operative follow-up care.    

Should you have any questions regarding this recommendation, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,