Morbid obesity is a serious medical condition. If you are morbidly obese, it means that you are severely overweight, usually by at least 100 pounds. It also means that you have excessive amounts of body fat compared to healthy standards.

Knowing whether or not you are morbidly obese is important. This condition puts you at very high risk for a host of serious medical problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. Being morbidly obese may also hamper your mobility, expose you to possible discrimination or social stigma and may lower your self-esteem.

If you are morbidly obese, you should remember three important points:

• Morbid obesity is not a sign of weakness, laziness or gluttony. It is a serious medical condition with serious medical consequences. Current research suggests that many factors work together to influence your weight. These include your family history, eating habits as a child and adult, hormones and psychological factors.
• You are not alone. Approximately 66 percent of Americans are considered overweight, about 32 percent are considered obese, and about four percent are considered morbidly obese according to the Centers for Disease Control.

There is hope. Resources are available to help you avoid the medical consequences of morbid obesity.

Weight loss surgery may resolve or improve some of the serious complications of morbid obesity, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, joint pain and incontinence.