Definition
Obesity refers to an increase in total body fat. The easiest and most widely accepted method of determining whether you are obese is by measuring your Body Mass Index, or BMI.
To calculate the BMI, the following steps should be followed:
Calculate your weight in kilograms; divide by your height in metres; divide this number by your height in metres a second time.
A normal BMI = 18.5-24.9; overweight = 25.0-29.9; obese = 30 or greater; and morbidly obese = 40 or greater.
Why Should I Care About Obesity?
Obesity has become an epidemic in the U.S. and other developed countries. As many as one-third of all Americans are obese based on the BMI criteria. In addition to body image issues, obesity causes significant health issues. It is the second leading cause of preventable death (after smoking), and is associated with type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, arthritis, gallstones, and certain types of cancer.
Description of Obesity
Often referred to as a disease, obesity is actually a sign of what may well be a spectrum of different kinds of disorders – genetic or environmental. In fact, there is no single definition of obesity. It may be simply an extreme degree of overweight - but a person can be overweight without being obese. A 250-pound, 6' linebacker, for example, may be overweight according to ordinary standards, but may actually have a below-average amount of body fat. In contrast, a person in a normal weight range but with very sedentary habits, could have a small muscle mass, be storing excess fat, and thus be classifiable as obese. Two principal risk factors that lead to obesity, poor nutrition and lack of physical activity combined, are the second leading cause of preventable death (tobacco is first). Obesity is associated with significant increases in risk for type II diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, degenerative joint disease and psychosocial disability. Certain cancers - colon, rectum and prostate in men; uterus, biliary tract, breast and ovary in women - are more prevalent in the obese.
Causes and Risk Factors of Obesity
Until recently, obesity was considered the result of a sedentary lifestyle and the chronic ingestion of excess calories. This may be the principal factor for many individuals, but there is evidence of strong genetic, metabolic, and environmental influences in the development of obesity. Certain illnesses, such as Cushing’s syndrome or hypothyroidism, and medications, such as glucocorticoids, can also cause obesity. However, less than one percent of all obese patients have an identifiable secondary cause of obesity.
Diagnosis of Obesity
A physical examination, including a measurement of weight and height, is usually sufficient to diagnose obesity. A complete medical history, including age of onset, family history, eating and exercise behavior, smoking, alcohol use, and previous weight loss experience are all important. Your physician may order blood tests, including fasting levels of glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides, to determine whether any obesity-related conditions are present.
Treatment of Obesity
Successful programs for weight loss reduction and maintenance should be started and followed under the care of a physician and/or a nutritionist. A weight-loss program may include:
Exercise (30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week).
A low-fat, high-complex carbohydrate, high fiber diet.
Behavior modification to change eating behavior.
Social support.
Medications.
Although several diets have become quite popular as effective ways of losing weight, none of them has been proven to be vastly superior in rigorously conducted, large-scale clinical trials. The key (and only) reason for the success of any dietary plan is that it make you consume fewer calories than what you are expending.
It is very important to discuss all medications you are taking with your physician. Current guidelines recommend drug treatment for individuals, especially those with other obesity-related health conditions, who have failed to respond adequately to dietary and behavioral modifications. A limited number of medications are available for the treatment of obesity. Although surgery (such as gastric bypass) is the last resort for the treatment of obesity, it can be extremely effective. However, it should be performed at an experienced surgical center, because such operations can carry significant risks, especially in the post-operative period. Consensus recommendations are to limit surgical therapies to patients with morbid obesity (BMI > 40).
Obesity refers to an increase in total body fat. The easiest and most widely accepted method of determining whether you are obese is by measuring your Body Mass Index, or BMI.
To calculate the BMI, the following steps should be followed:
Calculate your weight in kilograms; divide by your height in metres; divide this number by your height in metres a second time.
A normal BMI = 18.5-24.9; overweight = 25.0-29.9; obese = 30 or greater; and morbidly obese = 40 or greater.
Why Should I Care About Obesity?
Obesity has become an epidemic in the U.S. and other developed countries. As many as one-third of all Americans are obese based on the BMI criteria. In addition to body image issues, obesity causes significant health issues. It is the second leading cause of preventable death (after smoking), and is associated with type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, arthritis, gallstones, and certain types of cancer.
Description of Obesity
Often referred to as a disease, obesity is actually a sign of what may well be a spectrum of different kinds of disorders – genetic or environmental. In fact, there is no single definition of obesity. It may be simply an extreme degree of overweight - but a person can be overweight without being obese. A 250-pound, 6' linebacker, for example, may be overweight according to ordinary standards, but may actually have a below-average amount of body fat. In contrast, a person in a normal weight range but with very sedentary habits, could have a small muscle mass, be storing excess fat, and thus be classifiable as obese. Two principal risk factors that lead to obesity, poor nutrition and lack of physical activity combined, are the second leading cause of preventable death (tobacco is first). Obesity is associated with significant increases in risk for type II diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, degenerative joint disease and psychosocial disability. Certain cancers - colon, rectum and prostate in men; uterus, biliary tract, breast and ovary in women - are more prevalent in the obese.
Causes and Risk Factors of Obesity
Until recently, obesity was considered the result of a sedentary lifestyle and the chronic ingestion of excess calories. This may be the principal factor for many individuals, but there is evidence of strong genetic, metabolic, and environmental influences in the development of obesity. Certain illnesses, such as Cushing’s syndrome or hypothyroidism, and medications, such as glucocorticoids, can also cause obesity. However, less than one percent of all obese patients have an identifiable secondary cause of obesity.
Diagnosis of Obesity
A physical examination, including a measurement of weight and height, is usually sufficient to diagnose obesity. A complete medical history, including age of onset, family history, eating and exercise behavior, smoking, alcohol use, and previous weight loss experience are all important. Your physician may order blood tests, including fasting levels of glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides, to determine whether any obesity-related conditions are present.
Treatment of Obesity
Successful programs for weight loss reduction and maintenance should be started and followed under the care of a physician and/or a nutritionist. A weight-loss program may include:
Exercise (30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week).
A low-fat, high-complex carbohydrate, high fiber diet.
Behavior modification to change eating behavior.
Social support.
Medications.
Although several diets have become quite popular as effective ways of losing weight, none of them has been proven to be vastly superior in rigorously conducted, large-scale clinical trials. The key (and only) reason for the success of any dietary plan is that it make you consume fewer calories than what you are expending.
It is very important to discuss all medications you are taking with your physician. Current guidelines recommend drug treatment for individuals, especially those with other obesity-related health conditions, who have failed to respond adequately to dietary and behavioral modifications. A limited number of medications are available for the treatment of obesity. Although surgery (such as gastric bypass) is the last resort for the treatment of obesity, it can be extremely effective. However, it should be performed at an experienced surgical center, because such operations can carry significant risks, especially in the post-operative period. Consensus recommendations are to limit surgical therapies to patients with morbid obesity (BMI > 40).
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