There are both life-threatening and life-limiting medical conditions associated with obesity. It's sometimes hard for people to understand that these associated conditions are either life-threatening or life-limiting but the fact of the matter is that morbid obesity reduces life expectancy by 20 years. The life expectancy of the average American is now 78 years. For people that are morbidly obese, it is 58 years. Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death after deaths caused by smoking. More Than 300,000 people a year die due to obesity and it's associated conditions.
Potentially life-threatening medical conditions (co-morbidities) associated with obesity include:
- Diabetes mellitus (type II)
- Hypertension
- Hyperlipidemia
- Cardiovascular disease
- Obstructive sleep apnea or Obesity hypoventilation syndrome
- Liver Disease
- Cancers (prostate, colon, breast, uterus)
Life limiting conditions (co-morbidities) associated with obesity include:
- Osteoarthritis
- Gallstones
- Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- Urinary Stress Incontinence
- Varicose veins and deep venous thrombosis
- Leg swelling
- Abdominal wall hernias
- Skin-fold infections
- Menstrual irregularity and infertility
- Depression and social stigmatization
Chances of Co-morbidities and BMI
Frequency by % in Men
| Condition |
Normal |
Obese |
Severely Obese |
Morbidly Obese |
| Diabetes II |
2.0 |
4.9 |
10.1 |
10.7 |
| Coronary Artery Disease |
8.8 |
9.6 |
16.0 |
14.0 |
| Hypertension |
23.5 |
34.2 |
49.0 |
64.5 |
| Osteoarthritis |
2.6 |
4.6 |
4.7 |
10.0 |
Frequency by % in Women
| Condition |
Normal |
Obese |
Severely Obese |
Morbidly Obese |
| Diabetes II |
2.4 |
7.1 |
7.2 |
19.9 |
| Coronary Artery Disease |
6.9 |
11.1 |
12.6 |
19.2 |
| Hypertension |
23.3 |
38.8 |
48.0 |
63.1 |
| Osteoarthritis |
5.2 |
8.5 |
9.9 |
17.2 |
Health Risk in Relation to BMI
| BMI |
Obesity Category |
Health Risk
With-out
Co-morbidities |
Health Risk
With
Co-morbidities |
| Below 19 |
Underweight |
Slight |
Minimal |
| 19 – 24 |
Normal |
None |
Minimal |
| 25 – 29 |
Overweight |
Minimal |
Moderate |
| 30 – 34 |
Obese |
Moderate |
High |
| 35 - 39 |
Severely Obese |
High |
Very High |
| 40 – 49 |
Morbidly Obese |
Very High |
Extreme |
| 50 + |
Super Obese |
Extreme |
Very Extreme |
|