The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 31 percent of American adults (more than 63 million) and 20 to 25 percent of Virginian adultsare obese.
What is Obesity?
Obesity, by definition, means your body mass index (BMI) is 30 or higher. As the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States, obesity poses a major public health challenge.
Excess weight substantially raises the risk of:
- Hypertension
- Dyslipidemia (abnormal concentrations of lipids in the blood)
- Type 2 diabetes
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Gallbladder disease
- Osteoarthritis
- Sleep apnea
- Respiratory problems
- Endometrial, breast, prostate and colon cancers
Significant weight loss can decrease the odds of developing one or more of these conditions.
Morbid obesity is defined as being 100 pounds or more over ideal body weight or having a body mass index of 40 or higher. It significantly increases the risk of serious diseases or even death. Its a chronic disease, meaning its symptoms build slowly over an extended time. Learn more about the causes, risk factors and complications of morbid obesity.
What Conditions Make Me a Candidate for Weight Loss Surgery at HCA Virginia?
You may be a candidate for weight loss surgery if you:
- Are at least 17 years old
- Are more than 100 pounds over your ideal body weight
- Have a BMI over 40
- Have a BMI over 30 and have one or more serious health conditions related to morbid obesity
- Are unable to achieve a healthy body weight for a sustained period of time, even with medically supervised dieting
Knowing where you stand may give you the courage to take the first step.
Health Calculators
Use our health calculators to determine your BMI and other health measures, based on national standards. Remember that all health situations are different and a doctor can more accurately determine your individual health status.