What Is Morbid Obesity?

Obesity results from an accumulation of fat that is out of proportion to the body’s skeletal and physical standards. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a surplus of 20 percent is the point at which excess weight becomes a health risk.

Today, some 97 million Americans − more than one–third of the nation’s adult population − are overweight or obese. Of these, an estimated 5 to 10 million are considered “morbidly obese.”

Obesity becomes “morbid” when it threatens to trigger one or more health conditions or serious diseases (referred to as “co–morbidities” ) that may result in significant physical disability or even death.

Morbid obesity is usually defined in terms of:

1. A body weight 100 pounds or more above the threshold considered optimal for a given height
2. A Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or higher

According to a NIH Consensus Report, morbid obesity is a serious disease that warrants aggressive treatment. It is also a chronic disease, meaning that its symptoms become increasingly debilitating the longer it persists.

For More information visit the following pages:

1. Causes
2. Health Risks and Related Conditions
3. Treatment Options