Surgical management of morbid obesity

摘要

Obesity is a chronic condition characterized by an excess of body fat. A more exact definition is obtained through calculation of one's body mass index (BMI): weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared (kg/m~2). A BMI of 20-25 kg/m~2 is suggested to be ideal, people with a BMI between 25 and 30 kg/m~2 are characterized as overweight, those with a BMI between 30 and 40 kg/m~2 are obese, and over 40 kg/m~2 denotes morbid obesity (Wilding, 1997; Arterburn and Noel, 2001).