Morbid Obesity

Morbid obesity, also called clinically severe obesity, is defined as that in which a person is at least 100 lbs overweight. More commonly, we use the Body Mass Index or BMI to determine if a person is morbidly obese. A person that has a BMI greater than 40 kg/m2 has clinically severe obesity and is at high risk for developing multiple medical problems and early death. BMI correlates better with the excess of fat and is a better indicator of the risk of associated medical problems or co-morbidities than weight alone.

Morbid obesity is a disease of excess fat storage, usually lasts a lifetime, it is progressive, is life-threatening and the cause usually has a genetic component; however, it is affected by many other factors including poor dietary habits and lack of exercise.

Are you morbidly obese? If you have a BMI >40 or have a BMI >35 and severe associated medical problems, including diabetes, sleep apnea, heart disease and others, you are likely to have morbid obesity. This is especially true if you unsuccessfully tried many diets and medications to lose weight and also if your normal daily activities are being affected by your weight.

Diets and medicines, in general, do not produce long-term weight loss. Surgery, on the other hand, is highly effective in producing lasting weight control and a return to a healthier body. You can consider how risky it is to remain severely overweight or alternatively, you can take some risk now to achieve a lasting solution through surgery.