Bariatric Services at Excela Health - Understanding Morbid Obesity

Millions of Americans fall into the category of morbid obesity, resulting from the excessive accumulation of fat that exceeds the body’s skeletal and physical standards. People are morbidly obese if they:

- Are more than 100 pounds over ideal body weight
- Have a body mass index (BMI) over 40
- Have a BMI over 35 and are experiencing severe negative health effects

Morbid Obesity: A Cause for Concern

Obesity is a leading cause of preventable death and the risk of death rises with increasing weight.  Consider that one in five Americans is obese.  Translation: about 40,000 Americans die prematurely each year of obesity-related complications.  Some of the most common are:

• Cardiac disease
• Diabetes
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Hypertension
• Elevated cholesterol
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
• Arthritis
• Some cancers

How We Can Help

We recognize that weight management is a serious issue for many people.  Our primary concern is improving your health and well-being, enabling you to lead a healthier life, whether it’s through one of our weight management programs or bariatric surgery.  In most cases, surgery can improve or resolve:

• Most obesity-related conditions
• Breathing and sleep apnea
• High blood pressure
• Type 2 diabetes in more than 90 percent of patients
• Joint and back pain and much more

Our goal is to provide you with appropriate information regarding weight management services and bariatric surgery to help you make wise, healthy choices.

We are with you through the entire process, from helping you determine the right weight management tool to providing lifelong support when you need it.