Houston Obesity Surgery
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Frequently Asked Questions: Obesity
Body Mass Index (BMI): What is my ideal weight?
Body Mass Index, or BMI estimates your ideal weight based on your height. Health care providers use BMI as a measurement of body fat and as a measurement to predict the likeliness that a patient will develop health problems resulting from excess weight.
What is the difference between being overweight or obese?
A person is medically overweight with a BMI value of 25 and 29.9. This is caused by excess body weight that includes muscle, bone, fat, and water.
A person is medically obese with a BMI value of 30 to 39. Obesity is cause by excessive body fat that exceeds the body's skeletal or physical standards.
What is morbid obesity?
The National Institutes of Health define morbid obesity as when a person is 100 lbs. over their ideal body weight, or when he or she has a BMI value greater than 39. Morbid obesity is considered a serious and chronic disease and as a result a person who is morbidly obese is at a greater risk of developing obesity-related health conditions.
What are the health risks of morbid obesity?
There are a number of health risks that may be associated with morbid obesity such as:
- Type II Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Sleep apnea and other breathing problems
- Depression or other psychological disorders
- Increased risk of certain cancers such as:
endometrium, gallbladder, uterine and kidney cancer - Stroke
- Menstrual irregularities
Morbid obesity is a disease with serious physical and emotional risks for those individuals affected. It is important to treat the disease as soon as possible as the symptoms are chronic and continue to develop over time.
How does a person become morbidly obese?
Genetic and psychological factors, environmental and lifestyle choices, and the natural rate at which a person's body burns calories are some of the factors that contribute to obesity. Recent scientific studies cited by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery have shown that as much as 25% to 50% of a person's obesity can be attributed to genetically inherited factors.
Do I weigh too much to have gastric bypass surgery?
No. Dr. Nowzaradan accepts referrals on the most challenging weight reduction surgical candidates who have been previously denied by other surgical centers, especially the super morbidly obese (over 600 lbs.). After an initial medical consultation he will be able to determine if gastric bypass surgery is the right treatment for you.
