Patient Resources

Understanding Obesity
Every year, millions of Americans are diagnosed as obese. This means the patient is 20 percent or more above their ideal body weight. Clinically severe obesity is a more serious condition in which the patient is 100 or more pounds over their ideal body weight or has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or greater. When you are obese, your risk of developing other medical conditions including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke greatly increases.  More than 300,000 deaths annually are attributed to obesity and obesity-related conditions.

When healthy dieting and exercise have not helped you reach your weight-loss goals, bariatric surgery might be an option to consider. Surgery helps patients lose weight by restricting food intake, or, in some cases, interrupting the digestive process. There are several surgical options available and recovery time is relatively short.

Understanding your health and obesity is an important part of your journey to a healthier lifestyle. That’s why we’ve provided you with additional resources to help assist you. For more information or inquiries, please contact us at 989-583-4683.

BMI Calculator
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of body weight relative to height. BMI can be used to determine if people are at a healthy weight, overweight or obese.

Adult BMI Calculator

BMI Percentile Calculator for Child and Teen

Covenant Bariatric Seminars
View the convenient on-demand bariatric seminar to learn more about procedures and what to expect.

Insurance Worksheet
This worksheet can assist you with planning for possible insurance co-payments and deductibles prior to surgery. If you have any questions, call your insurance company or Libby Palmer, Covenant Bariatric Program Administrator, at 989-583-4683.

Support Group
Support group meetings for those who have had or are contemplating bariatric surgery are held the first Wednesday of every month from 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. at Covenant's Mackinaw Campus (5400 Mackinaw Road) in the lower level conference room. 

Due to COVID-19 guidelines, some support group meetings may be held virtually. Please contact Libby Palmer, Bariatric Program Administrator, ahead of the meeting to confirm if it will be in-person or virtually. Libby can be reached at lpalmer@chs-mi.com or 989.583.4683.

For virtual support group meetings, we ask that you turn your camera on. Microphones will be automatically muted. You can access the virtual meeting here.

Explore our Event Calendar to find upcoming bariatric seminars and support groups.

Bariatric Surgery App
Download this weight loss app and begin your transformation today. You can track your nutrition, exercise, weight loss and learn more about Covenant bariatric surgery. Download it from the App Store or Google Play. For more information, including how to connect this app to Covenant HealthCare, please see this flyer.

Useful Websites
American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery
Bariatric Support Centers International
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Obesity Action Coalition
Obesity Help
Shape Up America!