What Is Obesity? Obesity
results from the excessive accumulation of fat that exceeds the
body's skeletal and physical standards. According to the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), an increase in 20 percent or more
above your ideal body weight is the point at which excess weight
becomes a health risk. Today 97 million Americans, more than
one-third of the adult population, are overweight or obese. An
estimated 5 to 10 million of those are considered morbidly obese.
What is Morbid Obesity? Obesity
becomes "morbid" when it reaches the point of significantly
increasing the risk of one or more obesity-related health conditions
or serious diseases (also known as co-morbidities) that result
either in significant physical disability or even death. As you
read about morbid obesity you may also see the term "clinically
severe obesity" used. Both are descriptions of the same condition
and can be used interchangeably. Morbid obesity is typically defined
as being 100 lbs. or more over ideal body weight or having a Body
Mass Index of 40 or higher. According to the National Institutes
of Health Consensus Report, morbid obesity is a serious disease
and must be treated as such. It is a chronic disease, meaning that
its symptoms build slowly over an extended period of time.
Obesity
results from the excessive accumulation of fat that exceeds the
body's skeletal and physical standards. According to the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), an increase in 20 percent or more
above your ideal body weight is the point at which excess weight
becomes a health risk. Today 97 million Americans, more than
one-third of the adult population, are overweight or obese. An
estimated 5 to 10 million of those are considered morbidly obese.
Obesity
becomes "morbid" when it reaches the point of significantly
increasing the risk of one or more obesity-related health conditions
or serious diseases (also known as co-morbidities) that result
either in significant physical disability or even death. As you
read about morbid obesity you may also see the term "clinically
severe obesity" used. Both are descriptions of the same condition
and can be used interchangeably. Morbid obesity is typically defined
as being 100 lbs. or more over ideal body weight or having a Body
Mass Index of 40 or higher. According to the National Institutes
of Health Consensus Report, morbid obesity is a serious disease
and must be treated as such. It is a chronic disease, meaning that
its symptoms build slowly over an extended period of time.