About Obesity
Morbid obesity is a life threatening disease and has become a national problem. Nearly two thirds of the adult population are considered overweight. Patients who are morbidly obese have a significantly higher risk of developing the following conditions:
- medical problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis and heart disease
- sleep apnea and pulmonary hypertension (which leads to heart failure)
- colon, uterine, or breast cancer
- premature death
Obesity is best measured by the Body Mass Index (or BMI), a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. You may be considered a candidate for surgery if you have:
- a BMI > 40 or
- a BMI > 35 with comorbidities such as diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea
These criteria have been established by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) consensus in 1991 by a panel of medical experts. This group determined that surgery is an acceptable method to achieve weight loss for severely obese patients who have failed at other diet attempts.
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Definition:
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women.
