SAN DIEGO area people - recruiting for free surgery

You are considered normal weight if you have a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9. You are considered overweight if you have a BMI between 25 and 29.9. You are considered obese if you have a BMI of 30 or greater. To find out your BMI, click here.

In 2009, the NIH released a study showing that, for the first time, the number of obese people in the United States surpassed the number of Americans who are overweight.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 34 percent of Americans are obese compared to 32.7 percent who are overweight. About 6 percent of Americans are considered "extremely" obese.

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	Pose procedure News 8’s Todd Boatwright has more on the new weight loss surgery that doesn’t even leave a scar.

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego Medical Center are conducting a new clinical trial for patients who need to lose weight. "Pose" stands for primary obesity surgery endolumenal. It's similar to other weight loss surgery techniques that aim to make the stomach smaller, but with this procedure, doctors do not have to make any incisions.

The one-hour procedure is performed on an outpatient basis. The most common side effect is a sore throat.

This procedure is first being tested on patients who need to lose between 30 and 50 pounds, have a BMI of 28 to 33, and have a history of being overweight or obese for two or more years.