Obesity

Obesity vs. Morbid Obesity

It’s important to understand the difference between obesity, a common medical condition, and morbid obesity, which is considered a disease.

Obesity

• Obesity is most often defined as being 20% or more over ideal body weight.
• Obesity affects 59% of adults in our country.
• Obesity can have profoundly negative effects on your physical and mental health as well as unfortunate social consequences, such as discrimination due to your weight.
• Obesity is not a character flaw.

Morbid Obesity

• Morbid obesity is a much more severe form of obesity.
• A person who is 100 or more pounds overweight is considered morbidly obese.
• Morbid obesity affects an estimated 9 million Americans.
• Morbid obesity is a serious disease that has been linked to shortened life expectancy.

As more and more people become obese, scientists and researchers are trying to raise awareness regarding the disease and finding ways to reduce the amount of people who are obese. Being overweight is harmful to your life in many ways - not just physically, but socially, mentally and financially. It has been found that those who are obese are more likely to be depressed and have low self-confidence. They feel socially inferior and uncomfortable in social settings. The steps to eradicting obesity are becoming few and far between as diets and surgery make their way into the field.