It is unfortunate that today, more than ever before, the morbid obesity rate is at its high. A person is considered morbidly obese when he or she is 100 lbs over their ideal body weight or has a body weight consisting of 50-100% greater than what is considered healthy and the norm. When obesity is calculated in BMI or body mass index terms, the value of 39 or greater diagnoses morbid obesity as well.

There are some cases of obesity that are caused by an underlying medical condition, but most of the cases of morbid obesity are due to lack of exercise and consuming too many calories. When a person consumes more calories than are burned, the calories turn into fat causing weight gain. For a person to become morbidly obese they must consume more calories a day then they really need. Most often, people who become morbidly obese consume at least double, triple or more calories than are required. Most people who are morbidly obese are also guilty of living sedentary lives. They do not participate in physical activity therefore they do not burn off any of the calories they are consuming.

Once a person becomes obese, several medical conditions can develop. Medical problems such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, osteoarthritis, and stroke can all be brought on due to being overweight. The more overweight a person becomes, the greater the risk of developing one of these conditions. People who are overweight are also at a greater risk for developing breathing problems, sleep apnea, cancers and depression. Being morbidly obese is no joke. People die every day from a condition that was brought on by obesity. A problem that was preventable.

There are new surgeries that have been developed over the last few years to help people who are morbidly obese lose weight at a quicker rate. Surgeries such as gastric by-pass or lap-band surgery have offered a lot of people hope in losing weight. Not everyone will qualify for this surgery and once the surgery is performed, a person must learn how to eat the correct way to prevent the weight from coming back on.

Often surgery is not the best option. Many morbidly obese people could lose weight if they just practice disciplined eating and exercise habits. By drastically cutting calories and only eating the amount of calories that is required for their body, a person can lose the weight slowly and the healthy way. Adding physical activities to the daily routine along with a restricted calorie diet will offer results. However, a person must first learn self control and must deal with the emotions that cause them to over eat in the first place. Without will power and self control, the weight will never stay off, with or without surgery.

The problem with morbid obesity is that is it often passed down through families. Children of obese parents stand a much greater risk of becoming morbidly obese themselves. Although, some weight problems can be genetic, it is typically not the reason a child becomes overweight. Typically a parent who is obese has poor eating and exercise habits that are passed down to the child. The child is not taught self control and how to eat a proportionate and nutritious diet, therefore the bad habits are instilled in the child and the cycle continues. In order to stop obesity from being passed down, parents must first take control of their weight battle then focus on teaching children how to eat right and exercise in order to live a long healthy life.

If you are unsure how many calories you or your child should be consuming or what types of food to eat then you should see a dietician or a doctor to guide you on the right path for weight loss success.