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Obesity is a serious problem. However, when it turns into morbid obesity, then one has reasons to worry about their health. After all, it has the ability to interfere with functions as basic as walking and breathing. People with morbid obesity risk developing illnesses such as high blood pressure, sleep apnea, diabetes, heart disease, osteoarthritis, and cancer.
In diagnosing the condition, morbid obesity BMI is used. In the United States, the number of people with morbid obesity has been growing three times faster than that of the obese.
Morbid Obesity BMI
Essentially, individuals with a BMI of 30 or more are considered to be obese. Morbid obesity BMI, however, stands at 40 or more. That means weighing at 235 pounds or 280 pounds for a 5 feet 4 or 5 feet 10 individuals respectively. If you have a BMI of 50 or more, then you are at an even greater risk.
BMI is an estimate of the amount of body fat and helps determine if you have a healthy weight in comparison to your body size. BMI is basically the quotient of your weight in kilograms and your square height in meters. Although not very accurate, a high BMI indicates how fat your body is. Having a high morbid obesity BMI, therefore, means you are fatter than you ordinarily should be.
What Causes Morbid Obesity?
Morbid obesity comes as a result of several and complex reasons. While overeating may contribute to it, it is not the only reason for morbid obesity. In terms of diet, morbid obesity results from the storage of unused calories in your body as fat.
That’s especially if you keep consuming more calories without exercising of being physically active. Your body ends up taking in more calories than you can actually use. When your body stores too much fat, the end result is morbid obesity.
Antidepressants and other medicines in that class are also known to lead to weight gain. Also to blame are medical conditions like hypothyroidism. When it comes to morbid obesity, the biggest cause is the individual’s genetic composition. That is why individuals with this problems gain very little in the long-term by engaging in exercise or dieting.
There just is no quick fix solution for morbid obesity. Individuals may have to work at it for their entire lives, just to maintain their weight. The various medical solutions available today are, therefore, just ways of managing the condition and not permanent solutions to morbid obesity. They only help you suffer less from excess weight by reducing the physical, social, and emotional consequences of obesity.
Risk Factors for Morbidly Obese
There is nothing special about people who become obese and gain excessive weight. Eating more calories than your body needs can lead to you getting a high morbid obesity BMI. If you are genetically predisposed to having more energy stored by your body, then you are more at risk of developing morbid obesity.
A high morbid obesity BMI may also come as a result of your eating habits or low levels of activity. Once you develop certain eating habits in your childhood, it can be a big hassle trying to keep your weight at manageable levels in adulthood.
After all, many adults have jobs where they are largely inactive. Still, they can’t find time to work out, eat a healthy diet, and be physically active. Such individuals risk having a spike in their BMI.
Weight gain may also come as a result of sleep deficiency, anxiety, and stress. The same applies to individuals who have recently quit smoking.
Pregnant women can’t help but gain weight. Once they have given birth, it becomes difficult for them to lose weight. While none of these factors can lead to morbid obesity, they are likely to play a big role in its onset.
Health Risks of Morbid Obesity
Obesity is known to cause a number of chronic health issues but in its morbid form, it can be worse. The following are the common conditions that individuals are likely to suffer from:
Heart Disease/High Blood Pressure
Excessive weight is known to prevent the heart from performing as it should. It constricts blood vessels leading to hypertension or high blood pressure. Many people with morbid obesity, therefore, end up suffering from heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke.
Type-2 Diabetes
Individuals who become morbidly obese have the risk of developing insulin resistance. Yet, insulin is key when it comes to regulating blood sugar levels. These individuals usually have high levels of sugar in their blood leading to type-2 diabetes.
Osteoarthritis
People with morbid obesity tend to put pressure on their hips and knees due to excessive upper body weight. Apart from causing wear and tear in the joints, this leads to inflammation and pain. In the same way, there is an excessive strain on the back muscles and bones, leading to disk issues, decreased mobility, and pain.
Respiratory Problems/Sleep Apnea
People with fat deposits in the neck and tongue usually have their air passages blocked, especially if they sleep on their back. Many people end up having disturbed sleep leading to headaches and drowsiness during the day.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
When you have excess weight, the valve at the top of your stomach gets overloaded and weakened. The result is stomach acid periodically escaping up the esophagus. It is the cause of frequent acid indigestion and heartburn. Frequent exposure to the esophagus to stomach acid may even result in cancer.
Depression
Morbidly obese individuals often have to constantly deal with depression due to failed diets, family and friends’ disapproval, and derogatory remarks by strangers. Depression may also come as a result of discrimination and the inability to comfortably fit in communal places.
Infertility
People with morbid obesity often cannot bear children. Whether it is men or women, excessive weight gain leads to hormonal imbalance which causes infertility. Clearly, morbid obesity has many unwanted repercussions. Before you become excessively overweight, work on preventing it in the first place. If you already have it, you may want to manage it through measures such as surgery. Whatever you do, just don’t ignore it.
