Obesity is now becoming one of the most common medical conditions affecting millions of people worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, obesity cases have tripled since 1975.
Obesity is a complicated condition wherein there is an excessive amount of fat in the body. It does not only affect one’s appearance; it also affects self-confidence and your overall health. Obesity can place you at risk for many diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and many more.
The good news is, by just losing even a small amount of weight, you can greatly improve your overall health if you are overweight! All you need to do is to stick to an effective weight loss plan that involves a healthy diet and exercise, and you’re good to go!
Obesity does not mean that you are just fat; it means that your body mass index or BMI is 30 or higher. The BMI is obtained after dividing your weight in kilograms with your height in meters squared.
Here is a table that shows your BMI and your weight status
BMI |
Weight Status |
| Below 18.5 | Underweight |
| 18.5-24.9 | Normal |
| 25.0-29.9 | Overweight |
| 30.0-34.9 | Obese (Class I) |
| 35.0-39.9 | Obese (Class II) |
| 40.0 and higher | Extreme obesity (Class III) |
Data obtained from Defining overweight and obesity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If you think you have excess weight and if you feel that you are at risk of having other medical problems, then you should see your doctor as soon as possible. Your doctor will assess you and your health risks and devise a weight loss plan for you, with the help of other health and nutrition professionals.
Medical treatment is needed if your own efforts to lose weight are unsuccessful after a few months, or if you have a medical condition such as hypertension and heart disease that makes it important for you to lose weight. Your doctor will be giving you prescription medicines, such as orlistat, or supplements. Psychotherapy may be needed if you have concomitant eating disorders such as bulimia or binge eating disorder.
If you are qualified, your doctor may also suggest some surgical interventions such as gastric bypass surgery. Gastric bypass surgery and other weight-loss surgical procedures are all known as bariatric surgery and makes changes to your digestive system so that the food you can consume is limited.
Although obesity is inherited (genetic), your lifestyle and your body metabolism can influence you to take in more calories than you can actually burn in your daily activities. Your body may store these excess calories as fat and this leads to your weight gain.
Obesity can be influenced by the following factors:
Obesity can bring about a lot of medical complications such as:
Obesity can affect anyone, whether you have normal weight or are underweight. If you take some steps now, you can prevent obesity later in life. Here are some of the things that can get you started:
By preventing obesity, you are giving yourself a chance to enjoy life more as you grow older. Fight obesity and live life to the fullest!
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-Medical Observer
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