© The Wales Weight Loss Surgery Clinic 2013.
What is morbid obesity?
Welsh Weight Loss Surgery Clinic
When obesity develops into morbid obesity, this excess weight gain and fat
accumulation becomes much more serious, creating the risk of other medical
conditions that may jeopardise a person's life. Morbid obesity is associated with
many debilitating, life-threatening illnesses that affect both a person's health and
quality of life while at the same time shortening average life expectancy.
Since morbid obesity is a chronic disease, these other associated illnesses (co-
morbidities) develop gradually but if left untreated, they all have a tendency to get
worse. Studies have shown that once a person has developed morbid obesity, efforts
such as diet and exercise programmes have little chance in generating significant,
lasting weight loss.
For the morbidly obese, bariatric (weight loss) surgery is the only documented
method that leads to lasting weight loss when all other forms of treatment have
failed.
