Morbid obesity causes and risk factors
Being 50 to 100% above your ideal body weight with a BMI of 40 or more is described as morbid obesity. It may be caused by high calorie intake, low metabolic rate, individual genetic makeup, environment and cultural factors, as well as behaviour and socio-economic status. A major cause of preventable death, morbid obesity may cause serious medical conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, or type-2 diabetes.
Obesity or morbid obesity is a serious health condition which involves the accumulation of excessive fat in the body; this affects the individual’s health in adverse ways and is also likely to lower his/her life expectancy.
Morbid obesity
Morbid obesity can be defined as being 50 to 100% above your ideal body weight, with a BMI of 40 or more. Morbid obesity is caused by high calorie intake, low metabolic rate, individual genetic makeup, socio-economic status, as well as environmental, cultural and behavioural factors. A major cause of preventable death, morbid obesity may be responsible for various serious medical conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes, among others.
Obesity is a serious health condition which involves the accumulation of excessive fat in the body; this is known to affect an individual’s health in adverse ways and is also likely to lower his/her life expectancy. Obesity is also accompanied by numerous health problems that can be directly linked to it. Obesity is measured with the help of a Body Mass Index (BMI), which involves a comparison of height and body weight. An overweight person has a BMI between 25 and 30, while an obese individual has a BMI of 30 or more. Morbid obesity can be defined as having 100 pounds or more above one’s normal body weight. Effectively this means being 50 to 100% above your normal or ideal body weight, with a BMI of 40 or more.
Obesity is linked to a variety of health disorders and may significantly lower life expectancy. Long term solutions for achieving significant weight loss are essential for treating morbid obesity. These include following a liquid diet or one with very few calories; taking weight loss medications in conjunction with traditional weight loss methods such as physical exercise and a low calorie diet; adopting behaviour modification practices such as cutting down on binge eating; undergoing bariatric surgical intervention such as stomach gastrectomy, banding, gastric bypass and others. A combination of all of the above methods has been found to be successful in treating most cases of morbid obesity.
Causes of morbid obesity
High calorie intake is a primary factor in causing morbid obesity. The transition of an individual’s body from ideal weight to pre-obesity, obesity and finally morbid obesity is to a great extent caused by the consumption of more calories than the total number that are or can be expended. Morbid obesity is also caused by a number of other factors, the most important of which are metabolic rate, individual genetic makeup, environment and culture, behaviour as well as socio-economic status. Your genes are likely to influence your chances of being obese. Genetic disorders such as Bardet-Biedl syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome are well-known genetic causes of morbid obesity. Obesity, like baldness, tends to run in families; if either of your parents is obese, there is a 50% chance that you will be too. However, this could also be due to factors such as similar diet and overall similarities in lifestyle.
The environment within which an individual operates – say workplace, home, educational institution or at play – has a great impact in determining his/her risk of becoming morbidly obese. The environment of an individual can be defined by the kind, quality and quantity of food available; the amount of physical activity possible; the exercise and diet patterns of an individual as well as the exercise and diet patterns of the people who reside in an individual’s immediate surrounding environment. Individuals make health and lifestyle choices based on their culture and environment. For instance, the easy availability of transport may discourage an individual from walking regularly, resulting in a sedentary lifestyle. Another individual may find it difficult to resist eating high calorie food because everyone around him/her is doing it.
Risk factors of morbid obesity
Morbid obesity increases the risk of a large number of diseases. Obesity is one of the biggest causes of preventable deaths all over the world, and has been unanimously voted to be the most serious public health menace of the 21st century. Individuals suffering from morbid obesity are at greater risk of serious medical conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, type-2 diabetes, glucose intolerance, coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, angina pectoris, gallstones, stroke, osteoarthritis, gout, obstructive sleep apnea, cancers of the breast, colon and prostate; complications during pregnancy such as gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes and preeclampsia; operative delivery complications; poor reproductive health of women (infertility, menstrual irregularities as well as irregular ovulation); uric acid nephrolithiasis; urinary stress incontinence and other bladder control disorders along with emotional and psychological conditions such as bulimia, anorexia nervosa, depression, low self esteem, distorted body image, etc.