Morbid Obesity

是什么导致病态肥胖？

When you eat, your body uses the calories you consume to run your body. Even at rest, the body needs calories to pump your heart or digest food. If those calories are not used, the body stores them as fat. Your body will build up fat stores if you continue to eat more calories than your body can use during daily activities and exercise. Obesity and morbid obesity are the result of too much fat being stored in your body.

Certain medications, such as antidepressants, can cause weight gain. Medical conditions such as hypothyroidism can also lead to weight gain, but can usually be managed so that they do not lead to obesity.

Who Is at Risk for Morbid Obesity?

Anyone can gain weight and develop obesity if they eat more calories than their bodies can use.

Some studies have shown that genetic factors can play a role in how your body stores energy. More research is being done to further explore the relationship between genes and weight.

许多行为因素也在肥胖症中起作用，包括您的饮食习惯和日常活动水平。许多人养成了小时候的饮食习惯，并且难以完善他们的体重随着年龄的增长而保持适当的体重。作为一个成年人，您可能会在工作中不活跃，并且有更少的锻炼，进餐和体育锻炼的时间。

Other factors, such as stress, anxiety, and lack of sleep, can lead to weight gain. People who quit smoking often experience temporary weight gain. Women may also have trouble losing the weight they gain during pregnancy, or may gain additional weight during menopause. These factors do not necessarily lead to morbid obesity but can certainly contribute to its onset.

Diagnosing Morbid Obesity

Your doctor will perform a physical exam and ask you about the history of your weight and your weight-loss efforts. They will ask you about your eating and exercise habits, and your medical history.

Calculating BMI

BMI is calculated when your weight in kilograms is divided by your height in meters squared. You can calculate your BMI by using a calculator provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

这是BMIrangesand their corresponding categories of obesity:

• underweight: under 18.5 percent
• normal: 18.5 to 24.9 percent
• overweight: 25.0 to 29.9
• obese (class 1): 30.0 and 34.9
• morbid obesity (class 2): 35-39.9

使用BMI作为肥胖症的诊断工具有局限性。您的BMI只是您体内脂肪的估计。例如，由于肌肉较高，运动员的体重可能很高。它们可能落入BMI肥胖或病态肥胖症的范围，但实际上具有少量的体内脂肪。因此，您的医生可能会使用其他测试来准确阅读您的身体脂肪百分比。

Calculating Body Fat Percentage

A skinfold test may also be done to check your body fat percentage. In this test, a doctor measures the thickness of a fold of skin from the arm, abdomen, or thigh with a caliper. Another way to test body fat percentage includes bioelectrical impedance, which is often done using a special type of scale. Finally, body fat can be more accurately measured using special equipment to calculate water or air displacement.

Other Tests

医生会要求你额外的血液测试来瞧ok for hormonal or other medical problems that could be causing your weight gain.

并发症of Morbid Obesity

Obesity is a health concern. Without proper treatment, obesity can lead to other serious health problems, such as:

• osteoarthritis
• heart disease and blood lipid abnormalities
• 中风
• type 2 diabetes
• sleep apnea (when you periodically stop breathing during sleep)
• reproductive problems
• gallstones
• certain cancers
• obesity hypoventilation syndrome
• metabolic syndrome

Treating Morbid Obesity

There are several different treatment options for morbid obesity.

Diet and Exercise

There is no data on the most effective way to induce long-term weight loss, but a healthy diet and regular exercise are the keys to overall health.

It is also important to learn stress management tools that can be used in place of overeating or snacking during stressful times.

You should work with your doctor and a dietitian to set realistic goals that will help you lose weight slowly through diet and exercise. It may be helpful to find support from friends, family, or your community in order to make lifestyle changes that will lead to long-term weight loss.

减肥药物

在某些情况下，可以开处方减肥药。这些药物可能会导致体重减轻，但mostpeople regain the weight once they stop taking the medication. There are many herbal and over-the-counter supplements that claim to help you lose weight, but many of these claims have not been verified.

Surgery

Surgery may also be an option to treat obesity if you have tried other methods for losing weight but have not been successful in maintaining long-term weight loss. It can often help reduce the risk of other diseases (e.g., diabetes, heart disease, and sleep apnea) that are associated with severe obesity.

Surgery may cause complications, and you should talk with your doctor to determine if this is an option for you. There are two common types of weight-loss surgeries:

Gastric Banding Surgery

In this procedure, the surgeon will place a band around the upper part of your stomach. This limits the amount of food you can eat at one time by making you feel full after eating small amounts of food.

Gastric Bypass Surgery

This surgery will change how the food you eat travels through your digestive tract by bypassing a portion of your stomach and small bowel. It will make you feel full when you’ve eaten less food.

Preventing Morbid Obesity

Obesity and morbid obesity are serious and potentially life-threatening conditions. A healthy lifestyle that includes a healthy diet and regular exercise are important for preventing obesity.

Diet and Exercise

People who have morbid obesity should avoid “fad” diets and focus instead on changing eating behaviors. Recommendations include:

• adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet
• eating smaller meals
• count calories
• 精心饮食
• limiting saturated fats, trans fats, and refined sugars

体育锻炼对整体健康有益，如果您想减肥，尤其重要。要开始减肥，您需要每周进行超过三个小时的剧烈运动。剧烈的活动会大大提高您的心律。在开始任何剧烈运动计划之前，请务必与您的医生联系。有益体育锻炼的例子包括：

• running or jogging
• swimming
• jumping rope
• 轻快的步行
• biking

Moderate exercise can also include everyday activities like shoveling snow or yard work.