Morbid Obesity Causes Risks Diagnosis Treatment

Morbid obesity can increase the risk of diseases and lead to adversities. Here are the conditions, risks and treatment methods to control this obesity.

Obesity is one of the most occurring problems in today's scenario. Since everything has shifted towards technology, there is no need to step out of your house for anything. People also have busy schedules due to which they do not go out for some physical exercise or work. The same is happening with children. They play mobile and video games more often than they do any sports outside. This results in morbid obesity in some people. Morbid obesity is a condition in which a BMI goes above 35 that puts you at risk for a number of diseases and risk factors. Let's get to know about this situation and find ways to solve it.

What is Morbid Obesity?

Morbid obesity is a condition in which a person's fat exceeds the normal level, which puts him at risk of many diseases. Body mass index is a measurement tool for determining body mass ratio according to age and height. Generally, a normal BMI range between 18.5 and 25 is considered healthy. Overweight people can also have a BMI around 25-30. However if it is more than this, you can put yourself at risk of several health conditions. Morbid obesity is thought to have a BMI range of around 35 which makes your tasks more difficult than usual. If you continue to build up fat in the same way, you are more likely to have an attack or stroke.

Due to Morbid Obesity

To know more about morbid obesity, we spoke to Ms. Ishangi Joshi, Consultant Nutritionist at BNK Hospital, Lucknow. She explained that when a person regularly eats almost twice the calories required by their body, it can lead to morbid obesity. The body needs calories to function, even when the body is at rest to keep your heart pumping and digesting food. If calories are not used, it gets stored as fat which accumulates over the years.

Morbid obesity usually occurs in people who have poor metabolism and lack of physical exertion. This results in the accumulation of a lot of fat in the body which leads to a significant amount of weight gain. Conditions such as hypothyroidism can also lead to morbid obesity in some people, while some medications and anti-depressants also play a role.

Morbid Obesity - Who is at Risk?

Even though one can face this problem of weight gain due to the following factors mentioned above, some people are more prone to this condition than others. Nutritionists tell us that some studies suggest that genetic factors may play an important role in determining fat storage and energy consumption.

Eating habits also determine the effect of obesity on a person. Even though the calorie count is high, some foods do not harm your body in the way that saturated fat, refined carbs and some beverages can harm your body. Hence the eating habits, timing and daily activity of the person also play a major role. Many people develop bad eating habits in childhood and they continue into adulthood, leading to obesity and obesity. Then job, meal planning and physical activity also increase the risk of morbid obesity.

Some other factors are also responsible for morbid obesity like-

Stress

Anxiety

Lack of Sleep

Inaction

Depression

Women also experience temporary weight gain in pregnancy but most of them find it difficult to lose it later. It builds up over time and menopause is also affected due to excess weight. Therefore all these factors may contribute to the onset of morbid obesity in people.

Diagnosis of Morbid Obesity

Your doctor may check your weight gain and routine history. After this, a physical examination is done. Then habits and exercise efforts are taken into account, along with medical history.

Calculate BMI

It is the first step towards diagnosis as it gives a basic idea about the obesity level of the person. In BMI, your weight in kilograms is divided by your height in meters squared. If it falls between 30 and 34.9 then it is class I obesity, which can be controlled with some measures and exercise. Morbid obesity ranges from 35-40, which is dangerous to the health of the body and requires immediate action.

This is only a rough estimate, as some athletes may have a higher BMI due to muscle mass. They can fall into the obese category or the overweight category even if they have very low body fat content. Therefore other tests are also done to find out the exact body fat percentage.

Body Fat Percentage

As the name suggests the percentage of body fat is to check the presence of fat in the body. It is measured with a caliper by the thickness of the skin fold from the arms, abdomen and thigh. Another way to test body fat percentage is through bioelectrical impedance, this is done using a special type of scale that reveals body fat percentage fairly accurately.

Complications of Morbid Obesity

When body fat builds up to dangerously high levels, many complications can occur. Obesity in general can cause health concerns and morbid obesity causes major health conditions. Here are some of the complications that can arise due to morbid obesity-

Osteoarthritis

Shock

Heart Disease and Blood Lipid Disorders

Diabetes Type 2

Sleep Apnoea

Gallstones

Some Cancers

Problems in the Breeding Process and During Reproduction

Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome

Metabolic Syndrome

How is Morbid Obesity Treated?

There are several methods that can be helpful in treating the condition of morbid obesity.

1. Diet and Exercise

It is one of the most effective ways to combat morbid obesity. This is because through diet and exercise, the body is able to consume those stuck calories and also significantly reduces the risk of health conditions. As your dietician is going to suggest you a meal plan and diet chart to lose weight.

2. Weight Loss Medicines

Even though many doctors do not recommend taking medicine for weight loss, but in case of morbid obesity, it helps in reducing fat and improving metabolism faster. There are also herbal medicines that can be consumed to avoid some of the side effects of these drugs and supplements.

3. Surgery

Surgery is the last option that can cure morbid obesity. People with high amounts of fat are not able to walk or perform activities properly. Due to this condition, it is not possible for them to diet and exercise in a healthy way. So they have only surgical option left to remove the extra fat from their body to reduce the risk of diseases. Two types of surgery are done to reduce morbid fat-

1. Gastric Banding Surgery- In this surgery, a band is placed around the upper part of your stomach which prevents you from eating more than one food at a time and gives you a feeling of fullness.

2. Gastric Bypass Surgery- This is a more complex surgery where surgery is done to replace the digestive system bypassing a part of your stomach and small intestine. This also makes your stomach feel full and you start eating less after that.