What is obesity?

Obesity used to be understood in fairly simple terms: excess body weight resulting from eating too much and exercising too little, due in large part to a lack of willpower or self-restraint. Fortunately for the millions of American adults who are overweight, obesity is now regarded as a chronic medical disease with serious health implications caused by a complex set of factors. Obesity results from a complex interaction of genetic, behavioral and environmental factors causing an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. According to the National Institutes of Health, an increase in body weight of 20 percent or more above desirable weight is the point at which excess weight becomes an established health hazard. Lower levels of excess weight can also constitute a health risk, particularly in the presence of other disorders like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.  more

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Obesity is a chronic, debilitating and potentially fatal disease that requires treatment by a physician trained in bar iatric medicine. It is marked by an excess accumulation of body fat sufficient to endanger health. The United States is currently suffering an obesity epidemic contributing to the premature death, sickness and suffering of millions of Americans. Obesity results from a complex interaction of genetic, behavioral and environmental factors causing an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. According to the National Institutes of Health, an increase in body weight of 20 percent or more above desirable weight is the point at which excess weight becomes an established health hazard. Lower levels of excess weight can also constitute a health risk, particularly in the presence of other disorders like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.  more

Obesity used to be understood in fairly simple terms; excess body weight resulting from eating too much and exercising too little, due in large part to a lack of willpower or self-restraint. Fortunately for the millions of American adults who are overweight, obesity is now regarded as a chronic medical disease with serious health implications caused by a complex set of factors. Recognized since 1985 as a chronic disease, obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death, exceeded only by cigarette smoking. Obesity has been established as a major risk factor for hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and some cancers in both men and women. Obesity affects 58 million people across the nation and its prevalence is increasing. Approximately one-third of adults are estimated to be obese. Obesity results from a complex interaction of genetic, behavioral and environmental factors causing an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. According to the ...

Obesity used to be understood in fairly simple terms, excess body weight resulting from eating too much and exercising too little, due in large part to a lack of willpower or self-restraint. Fortunately for the millions of American adults who are overweight, obesity is now regarded as a chronic medical disease with serious health implications caused by a complex set of factors. Recognized since 1985 as a chronic disease, obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death, exceeded only by cigarette smoking. Obesity has been established as a major risk factor for hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and some cancers in both men and women. Obesity affects 58 million people across the nation and its prevalence is increasing. Approximately one-third of adults are estimated to be obese. Obesity results from a complex interaction of genetic, behavioural and environmental factors causing an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. According to the ...  more

Obesity used to be understood in fairly simple terms, excess body weight resulting from eating too much and exercising too little, due in large part to a lack of willpower or self-restraint. Fortunately for the millions of American adults who are overweight, obesity is now regarded as a chronic medical disease with serious health implications caused by a complex set of factors. Recognized since 1985 as a chronic disease, obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death, exceeded only by cigarette smoking. Obesity has been established as a major risk factor for hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and some cancers in both men and women. Obesity affects 58 million people across the nation and its prevalence is increasing. Approximately one-third of adults are estimated to be obese. Obesity results from a complex interaction of genetic, behavioral and environmental factors causing an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. According to the ...  more

• Measuring Obesity • Morbid Obesity • Health Threats of Obesity • Causes of Obesity • Non-Surgical Treatments for Obesity • Surgical Treatments for Obesity  more

People become obese for several reasons, including: • Consuming too many calories. People are eating much more than they used to. This used to be the case just in developed nations - however, the trend has spread worldwide. Despite billions of dollars being spent on public awareness campaigns that attempt to encourage people to eat healthily, the majority of us continue to overeat. In 1980 14% of the adult population of the USA was obese; by 2000 the figure reached 31% (The Obesity Society). In the USA, the consumption of calories increased from 1,542 per day for women in 1971 to 1,877 per day in 2004. The figures for men were 2,450 in 1971 and 2,618 in 2004. Most people would expect this increase in calories to consist of fat - not so! Most of the increased food consumption has consisted of carbohydrates (sugars). Increased consumption of sweetened drinks has contributed significantly to the raised carbohydrate intake of most young American adults over the last three decades. The ...  more

Obesity means that you have an unhealthy amount of body fat. Everyone needs some body fat, but too much fat can cause health problems. Overweight and obesity are defined using a tool called Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a way of estimating total body fat for most people. The easiest way to find out your BMI is to use a BMI table for adults (see below). There is also a handy BMI calculator at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's web site (see resources at the end of this FAQ). To find your BMI, you need to know your height and your weight. You can also take your weight in pounds, divide that number by your height in inches squared, and multiply the result by 703 to get your BMI. If your BMI is 25-29.9, you are in the "overweight" category. If your BMI is 30 or above, you are in the "obese" category. There are three classes of obesity: Class I obesity BMI of 30-34.9 Class II obesity of 35-39.9 Class III obesity of 40 and higher In general, the higher your BMI is above 25, the ...  more

How is obesity measured? "Obesity" specifically refers to an excessive amount of body fat. "Overweight" refers to an excessive amount of body weight that includes muscle, bone, fat, and water. As a rule, women have more body fat than men. Most health care professionals agree that men with more than 25 percent body fat and women with more than 30 percent body fat are considered obese. These numbers should not be confused with the body mass index (BMI), however, which is more commonly used by health care professionals to determine the effect of body weight on the risk for some diseases.  more