Obesity

Obesity is defined as having an increased amount of body fat.  This is much  more than a cosmetic concern, though.  Our American society has become 'obesogenic,' characterized by environments that promote increased food intake, nonhealthful foods, and physical inactivity.  Because of this, currently, more than 64% of US adults are either overweight or obese, according to results from the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).  A few of the diseases related to obesity are diabetes mellitus, hypertension, high cholesterol, certain forms of cancer, sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis.  These medical complications lead to premature mortality in obese persons.  The good news is that even modest weight loss can improve or prevent the health problems associated with obesity.

Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is a formula based on your height and weight to determine if you are obese (notice this does not acutally measure your percentage of body fat and therefore is only a rough, general estimate). Adults with a BMI of 30 or higher are considered obese. Extreme obesity, also called morbid obesity, occurs when you have a BMI of 40 or more. With morbid obesity, you are especially likely to have serious health problems.  I've attached a link to check your BMI.

Whether you're at risk of becoming obese, currently overweight or at a healthy weight, you can take steps to prevent unhealthy weight gain and related health problems. Not surprisingly, the steps to prevent weight gain are the same as the steps to lose weight: daily exercise, a healthy diet, a long-term commitment to improve your lifestyle.

Disclaimer:

The information presented in this blog is for educational purposes only and should not be used to diagnose or treat health problems. In addition, although I am an affiliate physician of Cenegenics Medical Institute, the views represented in this blog are my own and may or may not represent those of Cenegenics Medical Institute.