# Defination of Morbid Obesity other than BMI



## nbluvette (Mar 25, 2010)

Can anyone contribute what they have found on defining morbid obesity OTHER than the BMI guidelines?


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## mitchellde (Mar 25, 2010)

Morbid obesity is defined by the physician and supported by the BMI.  If the physician states morbid obesity and the BMI says different then the BMI must be recalculated or the physician should be queried as to the obesity status.  But the definition of the level of obesity lies with hte provider.


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## mcwriter (Mar 25, 2010)

Def of obesity:
Obesity traditionally has been defined as a weight at least 20% above the weight corresponding to the lowest death rate for individuals of a specific height, gender, and age (ideal weight). Twenty to forty percent over ideal weight is considered mildly obese; 40-100% over ideal weight is considered moderately obese; and 100% over ideal weight is considered severely, or morbidly, obese. More recent guidelines for obesity use a measurement called BMI (body mass index) which is the individual's weight multiplied by 703 and then divided by twice the height in inches. BMI of 25.9-29 is considered overweight; BMI over 30 is considered obese. Measurements and comparisons of waist and hip circumference can also provide some information regarding risk factors associated with weight. The higher the ratio, the greater the chance for weight-associated complications. Calipers can be used to measure skin-fold thickness to determine whether tissue is muscle (lean) or adipose tissue (fat).


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