Obesity is rapidly becoming the nation’s No. 1 health concern. Of the 97 million Americans who suffer from obesity, 5 to 10 million of Americans are considered morbidly obese. Obesity is considered “morbid” when it reaches the point of significantly increasing the risk of obesity-related conditions or serious diseases that can cause death or disability.

It is typically defined as being at least 100 pounds over ideal body weight or having a Body Mass Index of 40 percent or higher. Morbid obesity is a chronic disease whose symptoms build slowly over time.

Consider:

• Thirty-four percent of U.S. adults are overweight, and another 31 percent are obese.

• 15 percent of children and adolescents aged 6-19, and 10 percent between 2 and 5, are considered seriously overweight.

• The number of overweight children has doubled in the past 30 years, while the number of overweight adolescents has tripled.

• An estimated one third of Americans are obese.

• About 300,000 deaths a year are associated with being overweight or obese.

• Poor diet and physical activity – two key factors in obesity –were responsible for 400,000 deaths in 2000, or 17 percent of the U.S. total. That is an increase of 33 percent from 1990, and puts bad eating habits and lack of exercise in line to replace tobacco as the No. 1 cause of preventable death in the United States.

• Obesity is associated with increased risk for a number of dangerous medical conditions, including heart disease, cancer, gallstones, high blood pressure, diabetes, and musculoskeletal disorders.

• Someone who is obese increases his or her risk of premature death by 50 to 100 percent.

• Direct and indirect annual costs of obesity in the United States are estimated to be $117 billion. That is more than the cost of tobacco-related illnesses.

• At any one time, an estimated 45 percent of women and 25 percent of men are trying to lose weight.

Obesity can cause a number of additional risks, called comorbidities that have the potential to affect quality of life and reduce life expectancy. Someone who is 40 percent overweight is twice as likely to die as someone of average weight.

Some of the diseases and conditions associated with obesity include:

Stroke and heart disease
Overweight individuals are more likely to have high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor in stroke and heart disease. They are also at greater risk for angina, which is chest pain that is caused by a decrease of oxygen to the heart, and they are more likely to die suddenly from stroke or heart disease without exhibiting any previous symptoms.

Diabetes
Obesity causes a resistance to insulin, a hormone that regulates the body's blood sugar levels. This causes high blood sugar and leads to Type 2 diabetes, which is a major cause of blindness, stroke, heart disease and early death. Overweight people are twice as likely to develop Type 2 diabetes as those who are not overweight.

Cancer
Obesity has been linked to cancer of the breast, uterus, gallbladder, cervix, and ovaries in women, and of the prostate, rectum, and colon in men.

Gallbladder disease and gallstones
Although it is not exactly clear how obesity is connected to these conditions, the risk of disease increases as weight increases.

Osteoarthritis
Extra weight puts extra pressure on the joints, especially the knees, hips, and lower back. This can wear away the protective cushion around the joints (the cartilage), causing pain, inflammation, decreased mobility, and disk problems in the back.

High cholesterol
Obesity is linked to reduced levels of HDL cholesterol – “good” cholesterol. This results in higher levels of LDL (“bad” cholesterol) and can lead to heart disease.

Respiratory problems
The risk of sleep apnea, which occurs when a sleeping person briefly stops breathing, increases as weight increases. The condition affects 4 percent of Americans and is a risk factor for high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

Gout
This is a condition in which excess uric acid in the blood causes joint pain. It is more common in overweight people than in people of average weight.

Pregnancy complications
Obesity increases the potential for high blood pressure and certain types of diabetes that can develop during pregnancy. It can also relax pelvic muscles, creating problems in labor and delivery.

Infertility
Obesity has been linked to polycystic ovary syndrome, a cause of infertility in women.

 

When you come in for your first visit we want you to feel as comfortable as possible. It's also a time to get as much information about your health history as we can. In order to be prepared for your first visit, please download and fill out the following form and bring it with you.

Health History Questionnaire
This form will tell us everything we need to know about your health. Please be sure to completely fill it out and call our office if you have any questions.