At What Point Does Obesity Become Life-Threatening?

Obesity is typically measured in terms of a person's body mass index (BMI) which is found by taking your weight in kilograms and dividing this by the square of your height in meters.

An individual with a BMI in excess of 30 is considered to be obese and a person with a BMI of more than 40 is said to be severely or morbidly obese. In other words, a 1.6 meter tall man weighing 115 kilograms would have a BMI of 45 and would be morbidly, or life-threateningly, obese.

This however is something of a simplistic view of morbid obesity because it is quite possible for an individual to be suffering from life-threatening obesity and to have a BMI below, and in some cases well below, 40.

So we need to find a better definition.

Obesity can be considered life-threatening when your weight causes health problems which are a direct result of your being overweight and where such health problems are likely to lead to a marked deterioration in your general health, shorten your life expectancy and severely affect your lifestyle. Such health conditions are referred to as co-morbidities and are many and varied. Some of the more commonly seen co-morbidities include:

• Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD). ASCVD is a condition in which fat is deposited within the walls of the blood vessels and can lead to coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure. Commonly referred to as "hardening of the arteries" this represents a major cause of death in the United States today.



• Type 2 (or Adult-Onset) Diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is seen normally in middle aged and elderly patients and, if you are excessively overweight, you increase your chances of contracting type 2 diabetes forty fold. Type 2 diabetes is again a leading cause of death in the United States.



• High Blood Pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is very common in obese individuals and can lead to the early development of cardiovascular disease, as well as to kidney disease.



• Obstructive Sleep Apnea. As the muscles relax during sleep the weight of the excess tissue around the throat in obese individuals collapses the throat passage and breathing stops. The body reacts by "jolting" you into breathing again but, as time goes by and weight continues to increase there is a growing incidence of death resulting from sleep apnea.



• Liver Disease. Fat deposited in the tissue of the liver can lead to chronic inflammation of the liver, cirrhosis and, eventually, to liver failure.



• Gall-Bladder Disease. Gallstones (frequently composed of crystallized cholesterol) can lead to obstruction of the ducts from the liver, jaundice and inflammation of the pancreas.

In this short article it is only possible to list some of the conditions commonly seen as a result of obesity and this list should not be taken as exhaustive.

In cases however where these conditions, and others, are present morbid obesity surgery will often be considered.

Weight loss surgery has been around for many years now and advances in technology, improved surgical techniques (such as advances in robotic surgery) and simple experience have led to the development of several surgical techniques which are now considered to be relatively low risk and which display fewer complications that earlier forms of surgery.

As our medical knowledge and technology improves we will not only see further advances in such things as robotic surgery, but we will also a lowering of the risks of obesity surgery.

More articles about obesity:

The Obesity Epidemic | Morbid Obesity Is A Growing Problem - As obesity reaches pandemic proportions and more than 60 million adult Americans are now classed as obese, morbid obesity presents a major health problem.

Obesity At Young Ages Is Becoming Increasingly Common - Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and has now even become a substantial problem in teenagers. A recent study however shows that obesity at young ages is becoming more and more common.

Why Am I Obese And Just What Causes Obesity? - With obesity, and especially juvenile obesity, rising at an alarming rate around the world more and more people are asking just why they are obese.

Concern over obesity in pregnancy - The Press Association
21 Jul 2010 at 11:45am

CBS News
Concern over obesity in pregnancy
The Press Association
The UCD centre for Human Reproduction at Dublin's Coombe Hospital, which compiled the research, said the incidence of morbid obesity was high, ...
Provision needed for obese pregnant wom...
NHS to double spend on obesity surgery - WalesOnline
27 Jul 2010 at 2:15am

NHS to double spend on obesity surgery
WalesOnline
The extra cash could also help establish the nation's first specialist morbid obesity service, operating out of hospitals in Bridgend and Swansea. ...
South Wales to have obesity surgery centreWalesO...
Losing weight to gain confidence - Times of India
28 Jul 2010 at 2:09pm

Losing weight to gain confidence
Times of India
Frantically fighting morbid obesity for years, Khan, who is from Lonar in Buldhana, arrived in Pune and underwent bariatric surgery in May at a city ...

and more »