Obesity
Overview of Obesity
Each day, more than 1000 people die of health conditions that can often be brought on by severe obesity. People who are afflicted with morbid obesity and are over what’s considered a healthy body weight for their height, have a greatly increased risk of developing debilitating conditions including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and others. Along with the physiological factors, obesity can also trigger severe depression and dangerously low self-esteem. With individuals who are classified as morbidly obese (BMI≥40) or super-obese (BMI≥50), traditional diet and exercise routines are simply not enough to provide lasting weight loss.
Obesity can be caused by a variety of factors that vary in each person affected by the condition. The most common causes are thought to be:
Heredity
Genetics can play a huge part in the cause of morbid obesity. Some individuals may simply store excess fat because of certain types of genes passed on from their families.
Environment
In a world where fast-food restaurants can be found on just about every corner, foods that are high in fat and calories are often easier to obtain than making time to cook a healthy meal. Plus, exercise is often sacrificed to time spent working and maintaining a family.
Metabolism
Metabolism slows as we age, and our bodies often gain more weight as we get older, even if we haven’t changed our amount of food intake.
Behaviour
Being around people who eat a lot of high-fat, high-calorie foods can be very tempting, not to mention that the food often looks good. This can sometimes induce us to eat even when we’re not particularly hungry. An occasional splurge is usually fine, but these can turn into habits that lead to significant weight gain.
Medical
When diagnosed, medical causes of obesity are often treatable without surgery. Our surgeons will do a full physical evaluation to determine a possible medical cause before patients undergo weight loss surgery. What people should understand is that morbid obesity is a chronic disease that causes severe deterioration of your overall health. Conditions caused by obesity, otherwise known as comorbidities, can have drastic effects on your way of life, and even shorten one’s lifespan.
Severe health conditions that can be caused by obesity include:
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension), Adult Onset / Type-2 Diabetes, Heart Disease, Stroke, Cancer, Sleep Apnea, Osteoarthritis, Gastroesophageal, Reflux Disease, Depression, Infertility
Weight loss surgery can address morbid obesity head-on by providing you with the tools necessary to lose weight and significantly reduce your risk of developing serious health conditions.