What Is Morbid Obesity

Most of us, at some time in our life, are able to stay at a steady weight from day to day, despite the amount of energy that we eat, What Is Morbid Obesity? never balances the amount of energy we burn off with activity.

The ability to do this without thinking about it is called the Weight Homeostasis Mechanism.

It evolved in our primitive ancestors. They did not have fridges, so they could not store food until a genetic aberration occurred, that allowed primitive man to store any excess food requirements as fat, which was used to keep them alive during the lean hunts and long winters.

We all have this mechanism, as it is/was essential for survival. However, note that the mechanism is really about storing fat….not just keeping our weight stable. So we all are genetically programmed to have a certain amount of fat present from day today. Everyone is different, so “Ideal Weight” as quoted by many clinics and weight loss centers doesn’t really make much sense. Unfortunately, we are unable to measure this, as it is genetically determined, but our research is coming up with some answers.

For most people, being overweight is usually a simple imbalance between the food consumed, and the amount of activity. The more we eat, the heavier (more fat) we get. By eating less and exercising more, weight loss will occur.

However, at a certain size in some people, something changes in our body chemistry, and we are now unable to lose the excess weight by dieting and exercise. The changes are almost always irreversible (Less than 2% are able to lose the weight LONG TERM).

That person now becomes a patient, in that they are now “Morbidly Obese”. They are able to diet and lose weight for a short time, but weight gain is inevitable, and usually ends up a little heavier than when they started the diet. In this condition, diets and exercise will never work LONG TERM.

This means that for those who have struggled, it’s not your fault. The chemistry that has developed makes long-term weight loss impossible. There is no willpower in the world that can overcome this.

There are several definitions used, most commonly, a BMI >35 .

A real mouthful (excuse the pun) is “A Genetic and Neurohumoural breakdown in the weight homeostasis mechanism”

Although an awful term, it does draw attention that the amount of fat is now causing illness (Morbidity). So it is not really a description of shape. However, the definition is changing, as muscular athletes have a high BMI, no fat, and no illnesses. But it is adequate for screening those who might have a health problem.

Once morbidly obese, patients have an increased risk of early death and a huge list of illnesses attributable to the excess fat.

Heart attack	Diabetes	Poor quality of life
Hypertension	Incontinence	Loss of self-esteem
Stroke	Depression	Job discrimination
Acid reflux	Sleep disorders	Travel limitations
Joint pain	Raised cholesterol	Skin problems
Infertility	Iron deficiency
Asthma	Pseudotumour cerebri

The good news is that with fat loss, the illnesses attributable to excess fat will either improve substantially or disappear.

Imagine the wonderful satisfaction and pleasure we get in curing Type II diabetes, and seeing a withdrawn poorly dressed individual blossom and play on the beach with their children….and wearing a swimsuit!

Am I Morbidly Obese?

• Just find your height, and move down that column to your weight. That number will give your BMI.
• If your BMI is 35 or greater, you are likely to have a significant health problem, but may not, depending on your age and build.
• Polynesians will have a larger muscle mass, so they may be very healthy with no risks.
• Asians have low-fat mass, so the BMI for morbid obesity in an Asian is 27.5.

However, you may have the problem but your BMI is 33. Give it a couple of years, and it might be 35 or greater. In that case, why wait to become diabetic?

BMI Classifications:

Classification	BMI
Underweight	<19
Ideal BMI	19-25
Overweight	25-30
Obese	>30
Severely Obese	>35
Morbidly Obese	>40
Super Obese	>50