Signs of Morbid Obesity
With a majority of Americans currently overweight, the number of people who are morbidly obese continues to grow. A person who is morbidly obese is at high risk for diseases including hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea, coronary heart disease and other serious illnesses. Health care costs rise as the need to treat diseases related to obesity climbs.
Weight
If you weigh more than double your ideal body weight or are at least 100 pounds overweight, you are considered to be morbidly obese.
Body Mass Index
Morbid obesity is also defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 39. A normal BMI would be between 18.5 and 24.9. From 25 to 29.9 a person is considered to be overweight.
Symptoms
The symptoms associated with morbid obesity include gaining an extreme amount of weight and the distribution throughout the body of excessive amounts of fatty tissue. More than one fourth of the American population is morbidly obese.
Health Problems
When a person is morbidly obese, he is likely to experience many health problems that are directly related to the weight gain. These include joint and bone problems, high cholesterol, hypertension, breathing problems, menstrual and pregnancy problems in women and skin problems.
Depression
People who are morbidly obese also frequently suffer from depression. Determining whether they are depressed because they are morbidly obese, or are so obese because they are depressed, is less important than treating the illness. Morbidly obese people who are depressed need treatment for both the physical and mental problems associated with being so heavy.
