Those considered morbidly obese are typically 100 pounds or more over their ideal weight and are often viable candidates  for weight loss surgery. People with BMIs between 35-40 who exhibit serious health conditions associated with their weight (co-morbidities) can also be classified as morbidly obese and may also be candidates for surgery.

Another measurement of obesity is your waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Studies show that risk for co-morbidities increase when waist circumferences surpasse 40 inches in men and 35 inches in women.

Obesity: A Nationwide Epidemic

Obesity is a serious health issue in the United States. Take a look at the statistics below:

• 142 million Americans age 20 and older are overweight and obese. That’s two-thirds of the population.
• 11 million Americans are considered morbidly obese.
• 13 million Californians are considered overweight.
• 8.5 million Californians are considered obese. That’s 23 percent of the state’s population.
• Obesity is associated with 300,000 premature deaths annually. back to top

The Disease of Obesity and its causes

Scientists are trying to understand this disease that is now a worldwide epidemic.  Obesity has surpassed under-nutrition globally and since 65% of Americans are overweight or obese, it is too simplistic to say the reason is that “we eat too much and exercise too little”.  Advocates of the “lack of self-control” theory also ascribe to the “if I can do it, anyone can” premise, which does disservice to individuals afflicted with this disease.

The human organism is a highly efficient and adaptable machine, processing more than a million calories every year.  Food is cheap and readily available today, but what has happened to our self-regulating mechanisms, the same ones that keep animals in the wild from becoming obese?  Though we can find blame in the fast-food industry, inventors of the drive-though and microwave ovens, this does little to solve the problem.

Obesity affects non-Caucasian ethnic groups with greater frequency and ferocity.  African, Hispanic and Asian Americans have a higher incidence of this disease and a propensity to develop other conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure at a lower weight than their Caucasian counterparts.

The cause(s) of obesity are primarily genetic, socioeconomic, environmental and individual response to food ingestion (lack of satiety).  There is little we can do about one’s genetic makeup, socioeconomic status or neighborhood; that is why successful treatment programs target satiety and food acquisition behavior.  In other words, what if you were less hungry and satisfied eating less?  You can imagine how this might help lower your daily intake of calories. back to top

Why do diets and exercise programs fail?

When most people are asked, “Why are you overweight?”  The answer usually is: “I don’t exercise enough”.  Truthfully, exercise programs, by themselves, are not great at weight loss.  They help improve cardiovascular fitness and are important to overall health, but the calories burned are often offset by increased appetite – so weight remains the same.

What about diet programs?  You’ve seen ads and examples of some remarkable results from many commercial and MD-supervised diets – all with the disclaimer: “Actual results may vary” or “Results are not typical”.  If any of these diets worked, then we wouldn’t have the epidemic of obesity today.  Diets can produce temporary weight loss, but the body senses the decreased calorie intake as “starvation” and tries to compensate by increasing appetite and hunger.  Eventually, the biology of hunger overcomes the desire to lose weight. back to top

Health Risks

A number of serious health risks are associated with obesity.  Many patients find that some of the conditions they’ve suffered with for years (diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, etc.) improve or resolve as a result of their weight loss surgery. Maintaining a healthy body weight also greatly reduces your risk for a variety of life-threatening illnesses.

Obesity-related illnesses (co-morbidities):

• Diabetes
• Heart disease and congestive heart failure
• High blood pressure or hypertension
• High cholesterol
• Gallstones
• Cardiovascular disease
• Urinary incontinence
• Gastroesophogeal reflux disease (GERD)
• Infertility
• Birth Defects
• Osteoarthritis
• Degenerative Joint Disease
• Stroke
• Cancer
• Liver disease
• Sleep apnea
• Asthma
• Respiratory disease
• Depression  back to top