Question:
Increasing BMI for surgery

Has anyone ever considered wearing those leg weights when they weigh in at the Dr's office to increase there BMI, just so they could get surgery?    — Rachel D. (posted on December 10, 2002)

December 10, 2002
I've read of others doing it and considered it because I am just at the low end of BMI BUT when I went to my PCP they have this big electronic scale and the nurse was telling me where and how to stand and apparently one of my legs was crooked and she bend down and pulled me by the ankle to show me the placement of the foot. If I had been wearing weights it would have been fairly obvious at that point!
   — susanje

December 10, 2002
and the other thing was that my PCP did an impromptu EKG in the office on me and the nurse had to apply the electrodes to my legs so she would have lifted up my pant leg at that point as well. If you had a mega large bag maybe you could stuff them in there between weigh in and exam but I'm not sure if you always have time.
   — susanje

December 10, 2002
OK, I admit it...I put rolls of quarters in my bra to boost my weight a couple pounds. I should have removed them the second I got into the examination room but I didn't think the doctor would have any need to touch me, as I was just there for my initial discussion about WLS with my PCP. Well, after I started telling him the reason for my visit, he asked me to lie back so he could listen to my heart, etc. In a complete panic,heart racing and palms sweating, as he turned to do something I reached in my bra, pulling out 4 rolls of quarters and managed to toss them a couple feet and they landed in my purse!!! I was somehow so sly even my husband didn't see this. The panicked look on my husband's face when I lie down and the doctor began to poke at my belly at listen to my heart was priceless! Although it makes for a good story now, I wouldn't ever do it again...I thought I was going to die of fear of being caught right there and then.
   — Samantha S.

December 10, 2002
Not only would you be a liar and a fraud you would also be commiting a felony. Insurance companies will prosecute you!! There is a limited pool of money which insurance co have to cover operations. If people try to fraudulently get WLS there are a few things that will happen. Insurance will make the policy more expensive (we all might have to pay for this benefit), employers could put in an exclusion, the criteria could be raised (say to a 55 BMI)and people will be denied who are really mo and die. PLEASE don't commit fraud.
   — Robert L.

December 10, 2002
I'm with Robert on this one.
   — Toni C.

December 12, 2002
I've heard of people doing the following: putting extra rolls of coins in their bra, telling the doctor they're 1 inch shorter than they really are (doctor's rarely take the height measurement), water loading pre weigh-in, overeating on purpose for those last few pounds, etc. Of course, this only works for an extra 5 or 10 pounds, but it's frequently enough to get you over that arbitrary 40 BMI. A minor dishonesty that I wouldn't hesitate to commit.
   — Kathy J.