When lean body mass and excess body fat is in unhealthy proportions, it fits into the classification of obesity. In Australia, more than 5% of the population is defined as grossly obese while around 60% of adults are considered overweight, bordering on obesity.

The ratio between weight (kg)/height (m) 2 is how obesity is measured, known as BMI or the Body Mass Index.

Defining the Morbidly Obese

The criteria for defining morbidly obese are medically accepted by several defining factors:

• If you weigh more than 45.4 kg over what you should weight based on your height, age, sex and build, or
• Your BMI or Body Mass Index exceeds 40 percent, or
• You suffer from negative health conditions like high blood pressure or co-morbidities that occur in conjunction with a Body Mass Index BMI of over 35, and can be traced to being severely overweight

Determining whether you should have Weight Loss Surgery

Morbidly obese patients might be ideal candidates for Bariatric surgery if they have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 40kg/m2 or a BMI of at least 35kg/m2 with one or more co-morbid conditions. Other ideal candidates might be those who are 45.4 kg or more overweight and those that have found conservative options unhelpful in weight loss. This includes candidates that have failed under programs that include supervised diet, exercise and behaviour.

If your BMI is 35+ or 30+ with associated medical problems and you have not seen any results with these traditional weight loss methods, you may want to consider weight loss surgery to avoid more serious medical complications. That’s not to mention eliminating the depression, lower self esteem and isolation that the morbidly overweight suffer from.