Morbid and severe obesity

Obesity is a pathology that has been defined by the WHO as the greatest threat to humanity in the 21st century. Obesity can be defined in different ways, but according to the WHO, obesity is defined when the body mass index (BMI – the ratio of weight in kg to height in m2 – exceeds 30). Incipient obesity is defined as people with a BMI between 30 and 35, severe obesity between 35 and 40, morbid obesity (with associated pathologies) between 40 and 50, and superobesity above 50.

It has been shown that patients suffering from severe and morbid obesity have a life expectancy of 8 years less than a population with a normal weight. Massive weight loss in obese patients can add up to 8 years to life expectancy without comorbidity. A weight loss of 5 to 10% in these patients reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Surgery is intended for patients suffering from severe obesity (BMI 35 to 40) associated with comorbidities (arthritic hyperthesion, diabetes, osteoarticular problems that can be improved after surgery, sleep apnea, dyslipidemia and non-alcoholic hepatopathy (fatty liver)) or for patients suffering from morbid obesity (BMI over 40) even in the absence of comorbidities.