What is morbid obesity?

Morbid obesity, also called clinically severe obesity, results from accumulation of fat that exceeds the body's skeletal and physical standards. It is typically defined as being 100 pounds or more over ideal body weight or having a Body Mass Index of 40 or higher and significantly increasing risk for one or more obesity-related health conditions that can result in serious disability or even death. According to the National Institutes of Health Consensus Report, morbid obesity is a serious disease and must be treated as such. It is also a chronic disease, meaning that its symptoms build slowly over an extended period of time.