Morbid obesity, diabetes, and life expectancy

The very fattest Americans are getting fatter faster than anyone else. 

The number of people who are severely obese with a BMI of 40 or greater increased 50% from 2000 to 2005.   

This is twice as fast as the growth seen in moderate obesity, according Roland Sturm of RAND Corporation, who has been studying obesity patterns for several years.   

Let us be clear: we are talking about people who are more than 100 pounds overweight.   A male with a BMI of 40 will stand 5’10” and weigh 300 pounds and a female with a BMI of 40 will stand 5’4” and weigh 250 pounds.  Let us also be clear that this is a very different population than those who are mildly overweight, like a BMI of 28, which barely has any increased mortality.

Roland Sturm found that from 2000 to 2005,

·         the proportion of Americans with a BMI of 30 or more increased by 24 percent,

·         the proportion of people with a BMI of 40 or more increased by 50 percent and

·         the proportion of Americans with a BMI of 50 or more increased by 75 percent.

These heaviest groups have been increasing at the fastest rates for the past 20 years.

A BMI of 40 shortens a life by at probably 10 years and, even more when they become diabetic, as they all will.  These are the people who are the most dependent on others and have the longest period of end-of-life decline.  These poor people have no chance at a normal active life expectancy, unless they seriously lose weight and start to exercise. 

We have a societal duty to stop this epidemic.  And morbidly obese individuals need to start to lose weight and gain control of their lives.  I have several friends who have lost 100, 150, and even 200 pounds; it can be done.  To a person, they all tell me that they feel so much better and can do so much more that they wish they had lost the weight earlier.   And if you are seriously obese, you must lose weight, a lot of weight, not just a few pounds. 

      

Comments

[John Dietrich]

The Bible says, "He who trusteth in the Lord shall be made FAT."-Proverbs 28.25, KJV I ain't worried 'bout bein' heavy. When my number's up, it's up. Then I'll go to Heaven for to be with the Good Lord Jesus.