Care and mobility considerations
The risk of suffering disabling effects of obesity depends on many factors.
Obesity is likely to worsen the disabling effects of impairments such as osteoarthritis and ischaemic heart disease.
A BMI of 55 to 60 is usually the cut-off point where it will be expected that a person with that BMI is likely to suffer disabling effects.
The disabling effects of obesity itself (without co- morbidities) are considered below.
Mild Functional Restriction (BMI = 35 to 45)
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Disabling Effects | In a typical person with a BMI of 35 to 45 there are normally no functional restrictions, which are significant enough to lead to care or mobility needs. |
| Mobility | A person with a mild functional restriction would normally be able to walk several hundred metres at a normal or slightly slower pace without assistance. He/she would normally be able to get around in an unfamiliar place without assistance. |
| Care | A person with a mild functional restriction would normally be able to cope with all activities of self-care such as getting in or out of a bed or chair unaided, getting on & off the toilet, washing bathing and dressing him/herself and preparing and cooking a meal. He/she should be able to bend to get food in or out of an oven and self-medicate. He/she would still normally be able to climb stairs unaided, though he/she may be somewhat breathless having reached the top. There would be no supervisory needs. |
Moderate Functional Restriction (BMI > 45 to < than 55)
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Disabling Effects | In a typical person with a BMI of more than 45 to less than 55, though they would be likely to have some limitations, there are usually no functional restrictions, which are significant enough to lead to care or mobility needs. |
| Mobility | A person with a moderate functional restriction would normally be able to walk at least 200 to 300 metres at a slightly slower pace without assistance. He/she would normally be able to get around in an unfamiliar place without assistance. |
| Care | A person with a moderate functional restriction would normally be able to cope with all activities of self-care such as getting in or out of a bed or chair unaided, getting on & off the toilet, washing bathing and dressing him/ herself, and preparing and cooking a meal, but may have some difficulty. He/she should normally still be able to bend to get food in or out of an oven, and self- medicate. He/she would still normally be able to climb stairs unaided, though he/she may have to stop on the way up and may be breathless having reached the top. There would normally be no supervisory needs. |
Severe Functional Restriction (BMI = 55 and over)
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Disabling Effects | A person with a severe functional restriction would have a BMI of 55 or over and may have one or more of the following as a result of their obesity:
|
| Mobility | Because of breathlessness and heart failure, a person with a severe functional restriction would normally not be likely to be able to walk more than 30 metres at a slow pace. If a person is very severely obese, he/she may be able to walk only a few steps or not at all. |
| Care | A person with a severe functional restriction may need assistance with most aspects of self-care such as getting in and out of bed or out of a chair, getting on and off the toilet, cleaning him/herself after the toilet and other aspects of personal hygiene and bathing or showering. He/she may not be able to get about unaided in or out of doors. Preparation of a meal may not be possible because of reduced manual dexterity and he/she may not be able to safely manage hot pans and would be unlikely to be able to bend to an oven. He/she would normally be able to take medication safely but if mental clarity is affected (in very rare cases) the person may need assistance. He/she may not be able to manage stairs without assistance. At night, he/she may suffer from sleep apnoea and may need help with CPAP or oxygen, changing position in bed and to get comfortable. He/she may need help in getting out of bed in the night and on and off the toilet. He/she would not normally require supervision for any aspect of daily living or for finding his/her way about in an unfamiliar place. |
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Amended April 2008
