Obesity Facts

Obesity is a worldwide health problem

which is defined as the excess accumulation of body fat. Many people think that it is a state of overweight, but that's not exactly true. Being overweight indicates an excess amount of weight that includes bone, muscle, fat and water. But, obese persons have a surplus of body fat. According to health professionals, a man having over 25% body fat is obese, while a woman is obese if she has more than 30% of fat.

Generally, the level of obesity is determined using a value known as body mass index (BMI)BMI is defined as weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters. A normal BMI value is between 19 and 25 Kg/m2. In a mild obesity state, one has a BMI value of 30 Kg/m2 or more. But, severe obesity begins when the BMI value reaches 40 Kg/m2 or more.

Obese people always suffer from a number of health problems and diseases. The general health issues are heart disease, hypertension, non-insulin dependent diabetes, gallstones, sleep apnea, reproductive disorders, osteoarthritis of weight bearing joints, and some types of cancers. Therefore, obesity needs careful attention for both prevention and treatment.

Sedentary lifestyle, consumption of pre-packaged food, and certain medical disorders are the causes of obesity. Along with weight loss medication, diet and exercise treatments are the preferred treatment options for mildly obese patients. Obesity surgery such as Lap Band or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is suitable for some who have failed to lose fat by any other method.

Today, obesity has become the number one public health issue in the United States. Researches show that obesity and overweight are the other important causes of preventable death in America, close behind tobacco intake. Around 1/3rd off all Americans are overweight people and an added 1/3rd are obese. According to the National Institute of Health, 300,000 deaths per year are caused due to obesity.