What is Obesity?

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What is Obesity?

Obesity is the accumulation of too much fat in the body, which can increase health risks. Obesity is determined through the calculation of the body mass index or BMI.

When a person’s weight is divided by the square of his height (in kilograms and meter respectively), we get the body mass index. When that person’s body mass index falls below 18.5, this person is considered underweight. BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 are considered normal. 25-25.9 is overweight, while those that fall under 30 and above are obese. When somebody has a body mass index of more than 40, they are considered morbidly obese, and have the highest risk for certain diseases.

In the United States, obesity affects about 1 in 3 people, and is now being considered an epidemic. Obese people are at risk for chronic diseases including diabetes, heart problems, as well as cancer. Worldwide, there has been a growing trend in the number of obese people, spanning all social classes. Today, the United States and the United Kingdom are two countries with the highest rate of obese people in the world.

Some of the symptoms that are associated with obesity include difficulty in sleeping, heavy snoring, sleep apnea, fatigue, skin rashes, back pain, joint pain and depression.

Obesity can be caused by different factors. While weight can be influences by genetics, there is a combination of factor which make a person obese. Factor include: a sedentary or inactive lifestyle, unhealthy eating, binge eating, or certain medical problems such as genetic abnormalities.

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