MORBID OBESITY

A Heavy Burden...

What is Morbid Obesity?

A person is classified as morbidly obese when their BMI is greater than 40, or they are more than 100 pounds over their ideal body weight.

Additionally, individuals who have a BMI of 35 or greater with an existing co-morbidity (i.e. diabetes, hypertension, etc.) are also classified as morbidly obese.

There are an estimated 9 million Americans who are considered morbidly obese in our country.

ENVIRONMENT: reduction of physical activity and abundant food supply

GENETICS: obesity disorders like Prader-Willi syndrome are extremely rare

DISEASES AND DRUGS: steroids and antidepressants may cause weight gain, as well as PCOS or Cushing disease

CAUSES OF OBESITY

HEALTH CONSEQUENCES• Coronary heart disease • Type 2 diabetes • Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon) • Hypertension (high blood pressure) • Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of

triglycerides) • Stroke • Liver and Gallbladder disease • Sleep apnea and respiratory problems • Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone

within a joint) • Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility)

ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES

Direct medical costs: may include preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services related to obesity.

Indirect costs: relate to morbidity and mortality costs.

Medical expenses accounted for 9.1 percent of total U.S. medical expenditures in 1998 which is equal to $78.5 billion

Morbidity costs: are defined as the value of income lost from decreased productivity, restricted activity, absenteeism, and bed days.

Mortality costs: are the value of future income lost by premature death.

Approximately half of these costs were paid by Medicaid and Medicare.

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/causes/economics.html

Definitions:• Obesity: Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher.

• Body Mass Index (BMI): A measure of an adult’s weight in relation to his or her height, specifically the adult’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of his or her height in meters.

Obesity Trends Among U.S. Adults between 1985 and 2009

Please right click on the image – Presentation Object – Show to see prevalence rates