The following position statement is issued by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery in response to inquiries made to the society by patients, physicians, society members, hospitals, health insurance payors, the media, and others, regarding preoperative health optimization prior to bariatric and metabolic surgery. These recommendations are based on current clinical knowledge, expert opinion, and published peer-reviewed scientific evidence available at this time. The statement is not intended to establish a local, regional, or national standard of care. The statement will be revised in the future as additional evidence becomes available.