What is the difference between clinically obese and morbidly obese?

Asked by: Shayne Orn  |  Last update: November 22, 2023
Score: 4.3/5 (15 votes)

Obesity, having too much body fat, is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 30. BMI is a measure of your weight relative to your height. Morbid obesity, which is also termed “clinically severe obesity,” is typically defined as being more than 100 pounds overweight or having a BMI of 40 or higher.

What is clinically and morbidly obese?

Class III obesity, formerly known as morbid obesity, is a complex chronic disease in which a person has a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher or a BMI of 35 or higher and is experiencing obesity-related health conditions.

What is the new term for morbidly obese?

Because medical providers and their patients understand the word “morbid” differently (medical providers do not find their patients ghoulish), the preferred term is no longer “Morbid Obesity” but is using either “Class III Obesity” or “Severe Obesity.” This allows medical providers to communicate that this excess ...

What defines clinically obese?

Experts use BMI (body mass index) to tell if people are a few pounds heavier than they ought to be or if they are clinically obese. Doctors consider a person to be clinically obese if he or she weighs at least 100 pounds over what is considered an ideal weight for a person's height.

How big is clinically obese?

If your BMI is 25.0 to <30, it falls within the overweight range. If your BMI is 30.0 or higher, it falls within the obesity range.

Difference between Obesity and Morbid obesity

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How do I know if I'm clinically obese?

have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 40, or. have a BMI of over 35 and are experiencing severe negative health effects, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, related to being severely overweight. unable to achieve a healthy body weight for a sustained period of time, even through medically supervised dieting.

Can you be morbidly obese and healthy?

Silvana Pannain, MD: Yes, you can be overweight and metabolically healthy. At the same time, we know that obesity is a disease that affects the body in many different ways. Thirteen types of cancer and 200 other health conditions are related to obesity.

How many pounds is morbidly obese?

Defining Obesity

Individuals are usually considered morbidly obese if their weight is more than 80 to 100 pounds above their ideal body weight. A BMI above 40 indicates that a person is morbidly obese and therefore a candidate for bariatric surgery.

Can you get on disability for obesity?

Even if your obesity is deemed “non-severe,” you may still qualify for disability benefits if your obesity, combined with other conditions, significantly impairs your ability to work. Obesity often goes along with many other health conditions. These include sleep apnea, diabetes, heart disease or arthritis.

How long do morbidly obese live?

One study found that obesity shortens life expectancy in individuals with moderate obesity (30 to 35 BMI) by three years, while patients with severe obesity (40+ BMI) may take as much as ten years off their life.

What is the difference between adiposity and obesity?

Conceptually, obesity can be defined as a level of body weight and adiposity that is sufficiently excessive to damage health, demonstrated by an increased risk of various chronic diseases, including hypertension, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer (Danaei et al., 2009).

What is Class 2 obesity without serious comorbidity?

Overweight (not obese), if BMI is 25.0 to 29.9. Class 1 (low-risk) obesity, if BMI is 30.0 to 34.9. Class 2 (moderate-risk) obesity, if BMI is 35.0 to 39.9. Class 3 (high-risk) obesity, if BMI is equal to or greater than 40.0.

Is there anything higher than morbidly obese?

Obesity is often divided into three categories—Class I, Class II and Class III—with Class III including all BMIs of 40 or greater. Super morbid obesity falls into obesity Class III.

What disease makes you morbidly obese?

In some people, obesity can be traced to a medical cause, such as Prader-Willi syndrome, Cushing syndrome and other conditions. Medical problems, such as arthritis, also can lead to decreased activity, which may result in weight gain.

How much does disability pay for obesity?

If you have long-term disability (LTD) insurance, then you may be able to receive benefits if you cannot work due to morbid obesity. LTD policies generally provide a monthly payment of up to 60% of your salary for a period of time ranging from 24 months or as long as retirement age.

Can you get disability if you weigh more than 300 pounds?

If you are obese or morbidly obese, that alone won't qualify you for disability benefits. You must show your obesity leads to conditions in the SSA's special set of rules or that because of your obesity, you're unable to work. Social Security's rule recognize many conditions are affected by obesity, like: Heart disease.

What is the disability where you can't lose weight?

Medical conditions

Diseases associated with weight gain, obesity and inability to lose weight include hypothyroidism, polycystic ovary syndrome and Cushing's syndrome. Untreated hypothyroidism slows the metabolism, which makes it tough to lose weight.

How overweight is 200 pounds?

Normal or healthy weight is indicated by a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9, overweight is between 25 and 29.9, and obese is 30 and above. For the majority of people who are less than 6 feet 4 inches tall, weighing more than 200 lbs would place them in the “overweight” or “obese” category, according to BMI calculations.

Can a morbidly obese person lose a pound a day?

Morbid obesity: Very obese people can lose weight rapidly, although this doesn't mean they should. There have been many cases, most notably on the TV show The Biggest Loser, of people losing more than a pound a day because they had such tremendous fat stores to pull from.

How many pounds a week can a morbidly obese person lose?

For example, someone who is morbidly obese may be able to safely lose around 11 pounds a week, while someone closer to a healthy weight range may only lose as little as 200 grams a week as they have less weight to lose.

How long should an obese person walk?

Going from a sedentary, or inactive lifestyle to a highly active one takes time. For someone who has a higher BMI, or for someone who is just beginning to change their habits, we recommend walking at least 30 minutes a day. This amounts to roughly 3,000-5,000 steps a day, or 1.5-3 miles.

How much weight can an obese person lose in a month?

The CDC state that a person can safely and effectively lose about 1–2 lb a week. Based on those numbers, in a month, a person could safely lose 4–8 lb. However, these are just estimates. The American Heart Association (AHA) advise people to take a measured approach to their goals.

Can you become morbidly obese without overeating?

Obesity is a complex and chronic disease with many causes. It is not simply a result of overeating.

Where do you lose weight first?

Mostly, losing weight is an internal process. You will first lose hard fat that surrounds your organs like liver, kidneys and then you will start to lose soft fat like waistline and thigh fat. The fat loss from around the organs makes you leaner and stronger.