High BMI Plastic Surgery
A Possibility for Plus Size Patients
In the United States alone, 13.7 million children and teens and 93.3 million adults are considered obese due to a high BMI or body mass index.
Obesity is associated with diseases such as diabetes, stroke, cardiovascular concerns, and cancer. As obesity is becoming a common health concern in the world, more studies and strategies are formulated to combat this prevalent issue.
But does having a high BMI automatically label you as obese and unfit for surgery? Should it limit the things that you can do, especially when it comes to getting plus size plastic surgery?
Learn more about what is high Body Mass Index
and how you shouldn’t let it define you when it comes to getting plus size treatments.
Nick Masri MD,
Miami's top board-certified plastic surgeons.

MON – FRI 9 AM – 5 PM EST
The Use of the Body Mass Index for Detecting Obesity
One popular tool of determining obesity is the body mass index or BMI. It derives the amount of body fat a person has using a simple formula that considers one’s weight and height:
BMI = kilograms (weight) / meters2 (height)
BMI = pounds (weight) / inches2 (height) x 703
You can interpret the resulting number by referring to this BMI chart for weight classifications.
- Less than 18.5 – underweight
- 18.5 to 24.9 – normal or healthy weight
- 25 to 29.9 – overweight
- 30 or higher – obese
Based on this BMI chart, having a high BMI means that you are obese and your body fat ratio is above normal. This can have an impact on your plastic surgery results if you ever decide to get one.
However, determining your overall health status shouldn’t rest on body mass index alone. After all, there are different factors that produce an inflated body mass index.
If you’re asking yourself, “Why is my BMI so high when I feel healthy and fit?” diagnostic examinations and medical advice will give you a comprehensive answer. As per the advice of healthcare professionals, it is always best to correlate the results of your BMI.
What Does High BMI Mean?
If you’re classified as obese from the formula above, you may shake your head with worry. But take heart in the fact that having high BMI no longer limits your plastic surgery options.
Although BMI is an assessment for body fat ratio, it is not an indicative analysis for a person’s health status. Moreover, to answer your question of what does high BMI mean, it’s not all the time about body fat and obesity.
You may have a high body mass index despite being perfectly fit and healthy. Here are some examples:
- Having a towering height contributes to a high BMI. Nick Trefethen, a professor at the University of Oxford, pointed out that since the formula squares the height’s value, it implies that taller people are fatter.
- A greater muscle mass gives you a higher number. Muscle mass contributes to a person’s weight. Body mass index only considers a person’s weight without taking into factor the body’s composition.
- A person’s ethnicity also contributes to a high BMI. Studies have shown African Americans to have higher BMI with no underlying health risks associated with obesity. However, Asians were among those discovered to have greater risks of contracting diabetes 2 despite their low BMI results.

So, if you’re thinking about getting plastic surgery despite having a high body mass index, don’t worry. For all you know, there might be various underlying reasons why you have a high result, and it’s not necessarily because you’ve got lots of body fat.
I do not use BMI as a sole criterion in determining one's candidacy for surgery.
As all patients have individualized goals and surgical nuances, a high BMI should not prevent them from achieving their plastic surgery goals.

Nick Masri MD
Double Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon