Surgical Treatment of Obesity

Health Risks of Morbid Obesity

The major reason that we are all concerned about obesity, especially morbid obesity, is the health risks which come with it. For example, the early death rate of people who are 30-40 lbs. overweight is 29 percent greater than one would expect in a general population of people of normal weight. Similarly, there is a 50 percent increase in early death for men who weigh more than 40 percent above ideal body weight. These increases are attributable to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease (heart attacks and strokes), digestive diseases and diabetes mellitus.

In general, there are many health risks caused by morbid obesity. These include an increase in:

Diabetes
Heart disease
Stroke
High blood pressure
Gallbladder disease
Reproductive disorders (obese women have trouble having children and obese men have reduced sperm counts)
Blood clots in the legs and clots to the lungs
Varicose veins and swollen legs
Respiratory problems, including difficulty breathing with small amounts of exertion and walking
Fat accumulation in the liver and cirrhosis
Some forms of cancer, particularly cancer of the uterus, breast, prostate, colon and gallbladder

Although it has not been clearly documented that alleviation of obesity will ultimately result in restoration of normal risk, it is clear that many obesity-related diseases can be eliminated by weight loss.

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