what is considered morbidly obese

Morbid obesity is a term used to describe a person who has a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher. A BMI above 40 indicates that a person is morbidly obese and therefore a candidate for bariatric surgery. However, some sources also consider a BMI of over 35 with severe health problems as morbid obesity. Individuals are usually considered morbidly obese if their weight is more than 80 to 100 pounds above their ideal body weight. Severe obesity was formerly called "morbid obesity," but the use of this term is now discouraged as it can be offensive. People who are morbidly obese have higher rates of medical problems, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and lower life expectancy.