What Is Obesity?


Obesity is a disease in which excess fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may have adverse effects on health, reducing life expectancy and / or increased health problems. Body Mass Index (BMI), the measure that compares weight and height are defined as persons who are overweight (pre-obese) if their BMI is between 25 kg/m2 and 30 kg/m2 and obese is higher when than 30 kg/m2.

Obesity increases the risk of several diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, breathing problems during sleep, some cancers and osteoarthritis. Obesity is most often caused by a combination of excessive calorie food, lack of physical activity, and genetic predisposition, although some cases are caused primarily by genes, endocrine disorders, drugs or psychiatric illness. The evidence to support the idea that some obese people eat less, but the weight gain due to a slow metabolism is limited in obese people spend more energy on average than their counterparts due to the fine energy to maintain body weight.

Dieting and exercise are the mainstays of treatment of obesity. In addition, it is important to improve the quality of the diet by reducing consumption of energy-rich foods such as those high in fat and sugar and increasing fiber intake. In addition, or in case of failure, anti-obesity drug taken to reduce appetite and inhibit fat absorption. In severe cases, surgery is performed or a gastric balloon is capable of reducing the volume of the stomach and / or length of the intestine, leading to early satiety and decreased ability to absorb nutrients from food.

Obesity is a preventable cause of death worldwide, with increasing prevalence in adults and children, and authorities consider it as one of the most serious public health in the 21st century. Obesity is stigmatized in much of the modern world (especially in the western world), although it was widely perceived as a symbol of wealth and fertility at other times in history, and remains in some parts of the world.