What Does "Morbid Obesity" Really Mean?

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

Did you know that obesity can be fatal? Yes, it’s depressing and inconvenient and unlovely, but the worst part is that it can kill you. So listen up!

Anyone who’s known me for more than 10 or 15 minutes knows that I love to laugh. I even laugh about my obesity, when otherwise I might cry. But obesity is not a laughing matter.

Obesity is serious. Dead serious. As serious, in fact, as a heart attack. And that’s why we all need to take it seriously. We need to keep the Grim Reaper in mind even as we journey to a new life free of excess weight.

Yesterday I showed a friend (who never knew the obese Jean) a photo of me taken 95 pounds ago. She said, “Wow. Talk about reinventing yourself!”

Bariatric surgery, and the weight it helped me lose, didn’t just help me reinvent myself. It saved my life, and I’ve heard many other people say the same, using the exact same words: “It saved my life.” So it puzzles me to see other people acting as if weight loss is a hobby rather than a career, a hobby they’ll discard once they arrive at their goal weight and go on to something fun and easy, like a party or a vacation. They’re not stupid people, so why don’t they recognize the gravity of their situation and the life-changing importance of weight loss surgery? Do they not know what “morbid obesity” really means?

I know what it means to me. I know that it’s a matter of life and death, but I freely admit that sometimes I want to forget it altogether. I’m a new woman, enjoying a new life, making up for lost time. I’m tired of worrying about food and eating and the numbers on my bathroom scale. I don’t want to think about the Grim Reaper any more, but I can’t afford to forget him, because he follows me everywhere. That’s because weight loss surgery doesn’t cure obesity. All it does is treat it. It merely helps us manage the chronic disease of obesity. That management is a lifetime job.

We all know what obesity is – it’s the excess weight that drove us to bariatric surgery in the first place. We know how miserable obesity makes us look and feel, but none of us can afford to ignore the morbid part, because that’s the part that drives us to the grave. It’s the part that increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other potentially fatal conditions. Morbid obesity may not be listed as the cause of death on your death certificate, but it’s the cause that’s lurking around the corner. Your friends and family aren’t going to pay much attention to that, because all they’ll care about is that you’re gone long before they ever dreamed they’d have to say goodbye to you.

Wearing plus-size or big-and-tall clothing while we watch our kids enjoy carnival rides that we’re too fat to fit on is lousy today, but morbid is lousy forever. Even if you have no or mild co-morbidities (conditions caused or aggravated by obesity) today, chances are you’ll develop them in a day or a year or in 10 years. Morbid obesity is morbid because it’s been proven to shorten our lives. Even if you can overcome the heartache and shame of being excluded from life’s joys, you can’t overcome death. That’s forever. And I can’t ignore Forever. Can you?

So this is your wake-up call. Obesity can be fatal. It’s serious. Dead serious. It’s time to buckle down and do something about it…right this minute, before the Grim Reaper gets an inch closer…Hey! Get moving, now. Here he comes!

[A New New Dawn 1,695]

As always, a great article and a great dose of reality! Thanks for always keeping it real!

[Frederic 500]

My only criticism of this essay is that it doesn't delineate morbid obesity from obesity. Personally i think that is an important distinction when it comes to WLS.

[elcee 3,343]

Obesity tends to be like a snowball, it keeps on growing and it will at some point get to the MORBID stage

[Frederic 500]

Obesity tends to be like a snowball, it keeps on growing and it will at some point get to the MORBID stage

I don't believe that's true.

Many people are obese their entire life without becoming morbidly obese. Just like there are people who are overweight who never become obese. Over generalizing the details of the Obesity epidemic contributes to the social misconception of lumping people who just need to exercise in with people who have actual metabolic disorders.

If we imply that WLS will help anyone who needs to lose weight we just open up the entire community to criticism for every failure as well as criticism for every person who manages to lose weight without WLS.

I really believe that the best thing for the WLS community; is for members to always try and speak as honestly and specifically about how and why WLS surgery works whenever possible.

[CHEZNOEL 4,061]

Thanks for the post Jean.

[Maddysgram 6,159]

I wish every Dr could have a copy of this and post it in their offices. It's a great eye opener!

When I started my WLS I was morbidly obese. I knew that this surgery was either going to save me, or I was going to die early, never mind all the things I was missing out on.

Thank you,Jean for your words of wisdom.

I enjoy everything you write b/c of your humor, but I also enjoyed this article b/c its about saving lives.

You rock!

[Maddysgram 6,159]

Obesity tends to be like a snowball, it keeps on growing and it will at some point get to the MORBID stage

I know 40yrs ago I was of normal weight, my mil thought I should lose 5lbs,so I went on a diet and became overweight, another diet, then obese,another diet,severely obese, another diet, morbidly obese.

I couldn't afford another diet. I needed a cure. LBS is not a cure, but it is a great tool to help me learn to treat my life with more respect and care.

So yes, I was that snowball, but now the sun is shining and I'm melting.lol Now I'm obese, working on overweight.lol

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

My only criticism of this essay is that it doesn't delineate morbid obesity from obesity. Personally i think that is an important distinction when it comes to WLS.

I didn't delineate morbid obesity from obesity in this article for 2 reasons: (1) I don't think that's necessary when the essay's audience (LBT members) consists of people who are already intimately familiar with obesity criteria and are/were obese enough to qualify for WLS. In other words, I'd be preaching to the choir. And (2) The system currently used by insurance companies and the medical professional to identify obesity and morbid obesity is based on the BMI. The BMI calculation was developed by a statistician as a way to classify weight, wasn't intended to be used as a medical criteria, and doesn't take into account some important factors that skew the validity of a person's BMI - for example, that men have greater muscle mass and that Asians have lesser bone density. In my opinion, focusing on the BMI in evaluating a person's weight is a mistake.

[Lose100 178]

Thank you Jean for this article. It was well stated.

[Frederic 500]

I didn't delineate morbid obesity from obesity in this article for 2 reasons: (1) I don't think that's necessary when the essay's audience (LBT members) consists of people who are already intimately familiar with obesity criteria and are/were obese enough to qualify for WLS. In other words, I'd be preaching to the choir. And (2) The system currently used by insurance companies and the medical professional to identify obesity and morbid obesity is based on the BMI. The BMI calculation was developed by a statistician as a way to classify weight, wasn't intended to be used as a medical criteria, and doesn't take into account some important factors that skew the validity of a person's BMI - for example, that men have greater muscle mass and that Asians have lesser bone density. In my opinion, focusing on the BMI in evaluating a person's weight is a mistake.

While I agree with your second point I would point out that the difference between overweight and morbid obesity is a large enough step (unlike "obesity") they're difference in data would preclude them from statistical anomalies based on gender and genetic profile. I agree BMI is overused but it's not worthless when comparing norms to extremes. I would agree with your first point as well except I increasingly see people posting about considering WLS with BMIs of 35 or below. These people would fall into the statistical grey area you point out and since a quick search of "BMI chart" on the internet often brings up charts that don't even include "morbid obesity" I thought it was worth pointing out.

[Kime-lou 648]

This is exactly why I had surgery when I did. At 30 at sitting terribly close to 250 I knew if I didn't make a change, if I didn't do something I would end up dying young for heart disease or diabetes.

While I enjoy looking better, it is a relief to see my healthy improving and that is enough to make this a life long journey rather than a temporary change.

[dee257 1,516]

Very good read Jean...I have a nephew I love dearly who needs to read this and hear it....He is so young and so obease...his poor mother worrys every day about him...but he is in denial about just how big he is......~sighs~

[☠carolinagirl☠ 18,722]

jean

as normal, what a wonderful article.

let me say from my experience ONLY. as this is what happened to me.

i went from overweight, to fat, to obese, to morbid obese to super morbid obese.

it was a journey to get there and now a journey to get out of that situation i put myself in. thank heavens i was able to have wls to help me with this.

and jean, you help me each/every day.

thanks for the great postings. as always

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

Very good read Jean...I have a nephew I love dearly who needs to read this and hear it....He is so young and so obease...his poor mother worrys every day about him...but he is in denial about just how big he is......~sighs~

Your a good aunt to worry about him, but as long as he can't see or admit that he's obese, there's not much anyone can do about it. Very sad.