2024-03-04 19:00:00
A major public health problem, obesity is a scourge that affects nearly one in two adults in France. Depending on the BMI, the abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat can be either moderate, severe or morbid. The latter category, the most worrying, leads in particular to severe cardiovascular and respiratory complications.
Like every year, March 4 marks World Obesity Day, which raises awareness across the globe. According to the latest figures from the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1.9 billion adults suffer from obesity, the number of cases of which has almost tripled since 1975. In Europe, this chronic and multifactorial disease is of “epidemic proportions”, warned the WHO in a report published in 2022. The WHO defines obesity as an abnormal or excessive accumulation of body fat. For health professionals, a person is said to be obese when their body mass index is greater than 30. This pathology, often associated with a diet that is too rich and a lack of physical exercise, however includes different degrees.
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Morbid obesity: a BMI greater than 40
Obesity is considered morbid when it has a body mass index greater than 40, while a normal BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9. It concerns approximately 0.6% of the French population. In addition to being significantly overweight, with excess fat (or adipose tissue) located particularly in the abdominal area, the patients concerned find themselves unable to lose weight. And this, despite repeated diets. This accumulation of fats in the body is also accompanied by a loss of muscle mass and the liver, which exposes the patient to severe complications. Indeed, a person suffering from morbid obesity will have to face a whole range of pathologies associated with being overweight.
What are the comorbidities of morbid obesity?
The main diseases are diabetes and cardiovascular disorders, such as myocardial infarction, sudden adult death, angina, reduced blood flow and even high blood pressure. Numerous studies have proven the correlation between obesity and the development of certain cancers, notably of the esophagus, endometrial, kidney, pancreas and even colon, reports theInserm. Obesity also comes with significant psychological impacts, with increased risks of anxiety, depression and suicide.
But then, how can you successfully lose weight even when diets seem insufficient? First, it is important to break withdrawal and social isolation by agreeing to seek professional help. To support you, specialized obesity centers can offer you care and monitoring adapted to your situation. Under certain conditions linked to the psychological state of the patient and their dietary history, a surgical intervention may be considered to modify the anatomy of the digestive system, and thus help to eliminate persistent morbid obesity.
Aurelie DUHAMEL for TF1 INFO
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