Obesity in developed countries has become an epidemic. Weight gain stems from a combination of poor diet and lack of exercise. Genetic, environmental and hormonal factors account for less than 1% of diagnosed obese patients. The body mass index (BMI) scale indicates whether an individual is underweight, normal or overweight by using a detailed calculation involving weight and height.
Identification
An individual is considered morbidly obese when his body mass index is between 40 and 50. A healthy BMI reading is between 18.5 and 25. Obesity begins at 30. A morbidly obese individual weighs nearly twice as much as he should. Morbid obesity is also commonly defined as being more than 100 pounds (45 kilograms) overweight.
Function
To find out your BMI, divide your weight in kilograms by your height in meters, squared. For example, a 1.8-meter-tall person who weighs 180 kilograms would divide 180 by 3.24 (1.8 meters squared), giving a body mass index of just over 46, which falls into the morbidly obese category.
One pound equals 2.2 kilograms. One inch equals 0.025 meters. But don't break out the calculator just yet. Many websites (see Resources, below) will do the work for you.
United States measurements can be calculated using either feet or inches with pounds. Using inches is a slightly easier calculation. To find your BMI in U.S. units, the equation is (pounds x 703)/inches squared. A morbidly obese individual who stands 5 feet 11 inches tall would weigh between 320 and 360 lbs. If that person weighed 350 lbs., the equation is (350 x 703)/5041 (which is 71 inches squared). The BMI would be just under 49.
Effects
Individuals who are morbidly obese run great risks of developing diseases. Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory illnesses, skin infections and certain types of cancers have been linked to obesity.
Prevention/Solution
Most bariatric surgery patients are morbidly obese. Surgery is not the only option to cure morbid obesity, though. A well-balanced diet combined with consistent exercise will eventually eliminate obesity. To do this, the patient must be determined and honest with herself. Eating right and exercising Monday through Friday does nothing for weight loss if the individual consumes 20,000 calories over the weekend. Remember, fewer than 1% of obesity cases occur from genetic, environmental or hormonal factors.
Expert Insight
The best way to stop morbid obesity is to avoid it in the first place. Take steps to improve nutritional habits and exercise regularly. Doing so will prevent the pounds from adding up and the BMI reading from rising.
Tags: morbidly obese, body mass, body mass index, mass index, environmental hormonal, environmental hormonal factors