Obesity: A Disease
Obesity is emerging as a health epidemic around the world.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
obesity is rapidly spreading across all regions and demographic
groups. An estimated 97 million adults in the United States are
overweight or obese. That figure represents more than 50% of the
American adult population. Of this group, 11 million adults
suffer from severe obesity.
Obesity is an excess of total body fat, which results from
caloric intake that exceeds energy usage. A measurement used to
assess health risks of obesity is Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is
calculated by dividing body weight (lbs.) by height in inches
squared (in2) and multiplying that amount by 704.5. The metric
calculation for BMI is kg/m2.
BMI Classifications:
Classification
|
BMI
|
Underweight
|
<19
|
Ideal BMI
|
19-24.9
|
Overweight
|
25-29.9
|
Obese
|
≥30
|
Severely Obese
|
≥35
|
Morbidly Obese
|
≥40
|
Super Obese
|
≥50
|
The American Obesity Association reports that obese individuals
have a 50-100% increased risk of death as compared to normal
weight individuals, with 300,000 to 587,000 deaths each year.
This substantial increase in health risks has made obesity the
second leading cause of preventable death in the United States.
Morbid Obesity
A person who generally weighs at least twice or 100 pounds more
than his or her ideal weight or has a BMI of 40 or more is
diagnosed as morbidly obese. The National Institutes of Health
report that morbid obesity may considerably reduce life
expectancy and is associated with an increased risk of
developing conditions or diseases such as:
• Diabetes
• Stroke
• Hypertension
• Joint Problems
• Sleep Apnea
• Cancer
• Coronary Artery Disease
• Respiratory Problems
Treatment Options
Non-Surgical Treatment
Dieting, exercise, and medication have long been regarded as the
conventional methods to achieve weight loss. Sometimes, these
efforts are successful in the short term. However, for people
who are morbidly obese, the results rarely last. For many, this
can translate into what's called the "yo-yo syndrome," where
patients continually gain and lose weight with the possibility
of serious psychological and health consequences.
Recent research reveals that conventional methods of weight loss
generally fail to produce permanent weight loss. Several studies
have shown that patients on diets, exercise programs, or
medication are able to lose approximately 10% of their body
weight but tend to regain two-thirds of it within one year, and
almost all of it within five years.1 Another study found that
less than 5% of patients in weight loss programs were able to
maintain their reduced weight after five years.2
Surgical Treatment
Over the years, weight-loss surgery has proven to be a
successful method for the treatment of morbid obesity.3 Surgical
options have continued to evolve and Florida Obesity Surgical is
pleased to be able to offer patients the BioEnterics® LAP-BAND®
System surgery. This procedure is the least traumatic and the
only adjustable and reversible obesity surgery available in the
United States. The LAP-BAND System provides a unique tool that
can help you achieve and maintain significant weight loss,
improve your health, and enhance your quality of life.
[
Obesity: A Disease ] [ Treatment Options ]
1. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) /
American College of Endocrinology (ACE) Statement on the
Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Obesity (1998 Revision).
AACE/ACE Obesity Task Force. Endocr Pract. 1998; Vol. 4 No. 5:
297-330.
2. Kramer FM et al. Long-term follow-up of behavioral treatment
for obesity: patterms of weight regain among men and women. Int
J Obes 1989; 13:123-136.
3. SAGES/ASBS Guidelines for Laparoscopic and Conventional
Surgical Treatment of Morbid Obesity. American Society for
Bariatric Surgery.
http://asbs.org/html/guidelines.html
