Understanding Obesity

What is obesity?

Obesity is a life-threatening condition that affects one-fourth of the American population, and its prevalence is on the rise. In the past decade, obesity has increased 60%, and is currently contributing to 300, 000 deaths each year. This dangerous condition is considered more damaging to your health than smoking and alcohol abuse. Obesity is most often caused by factors that are difficult, if not impossible to control. Common contributors to obesity include energy imbalance, heredity, metabolic disorders, social habits, and psychological disorders.

Are you morbidly obese?

Excess weight affects your life and your health. A useful tool for determining if your weight has reached a problematic level is their BMI is 30 or higher. The additional classification of morbidly obese is given when an individual’s excess weight puts their life at risk. You are considered morbidly obese if you:

• Are more than 100 pounds over your ideal weight
• Have a BMI of 40 or greater
• Have a BMI of 35 or greater in addition to life-threatening conditions related to obesity such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep apnea, and depression.

What causes morbid obesity?

The causes of obesity are multiple and complex. Despite conventional wisdom, it is not simply a result of overeating. Research has shown that in many cases a significant, underlying cause of morbid obesity is genetic. Studies have demonstrated that once the problem is established, efforts such as dieting and exercise programs have a limited ability to provide effective long-term relief.

Science continues to search for answers. But until morbid obesity is better understood, the control of excess weight is something patients must work at their entire lives. That is why it is very important to understand that all current medical interventions, including weight loss surgery, should not be considered medical cures. Rather they are attempts to reduce the effects of excessive weight and alleviate the serious physical, emotional and social consequences of morbid obesity.

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