Like tobacco, obesity causes or is closely linked with a large number of health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol, asthma, sleep apnea, gallstones, kidney stones, infertility, and as many as 11 types of cancers, including leukemia, breast, and colon cancer ...
Carrying extra fat leads to serious health consequences such as cardiovascular disease (mainly heart disease and stroke), type 2 diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders like osteoarthritis, and some cancers (endometrial, breast and colon). These conditions cause premature death and substantial disability.
One study found that obesity shortens life expectancy in individuals with moderate obesity (30 to 35 BMI) by three years, while patients with severe obesity (40+ BMI) may take as much as ten years off their life.
Obesity significantly increases your risk of developing life-threatening conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and some forms of cancer. Each year, approximately 280,000 adults die from an obesity-related condition in the United States.
Individuals are usually considered morbidly obese if their weight is more than 80 to 100 pounds above their ideal body weight. A BMI above 40 indicates that a person is morbidly obese and therefore a candidate for bariatric surgery.
Obesity increases the risk of several debilitating, and deadly diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. It does this through a variety of pathways, some as straightforward as the mechanical stress of carrying extra pounds and some involving complex changes in hormones and metabolism.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) define morbid obesity as: Being 100 pounds or more above your ideal body weight. Or, having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or greater. Or, having a BMI of 35 or greater and one or more co-morbid condition.
Reducing calories and practicing healthier eating habits are vital to overcoming obesity. Although you may lose weight quickly at first, steady weight loss over the long term is considered the safest way to lose weight and the best way to keep it off permanently. There is no best weight-loss diet.
Your starting weight plays a key role in how fast (or slow) you lose weight. The more overweight a person is, the faster they can lose. Conversely, if you want to lose those last 10 pounds, the process will be painfully slow.
A BMI over 25 is termed as being overweight and over 30 is termed as being obese. There can be a higher risk of surgical and anaesthetic complications if you have a BMI over 30. If you lose even 5 to 10% of your weight, this could reduce some of the risks associated with anaesthesia.
One study found that adults with excess weight had a 55% higher risk of developing depression over their lifetime compared to people that did not struggle with obesity. Other research linked being overweight with significant increases in major depression, bipolar disorder, and panic disorder or agoraphobia.
Obesity isn't just a cosmetic concern. It's a medical problem that increases the risk of other diseases and health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers. There are many reasons why some people have difficulty losing weight.
Class 3: BMI of 40 or higher. Class 3 obesity is sometimes categorized as “severe” obesity.
“Almost everyone in our original sample who had ever had obesity, stayed that way, but don't despair; if you do manage to lose weight, it can not only prevent but reverse significant health problems.”
difficulty doing physical activity. often feeling very tired. joint and back pain. low confidence and self-esteem.
People gain weight when they eat more calories than they burn through activity. This imbalance is the greatest contributor to weight gain.
For most people, 1-2 lbs per week is a realistic rate of weight loss. But everyone has a different starting point. A better benchmark is 1-2% of your current weight. Keep to this percentage throughout your diet, and the amount you expect to lose will fall (in line with your new lighter body weight).
Groups That Consider Obesity a Disease
In general, most organizations agree that it does. The American Medical Association (AMA) is a respected authority on medicine in the United States. In 2013, the AMA voted to define obesity as a disease.
The CDC state that a person can safely and effectively lose about 1–2 lb a week. Based on those numbers, in a month, a person could safely lose 4–8 lb.
BMI ranges for Americans and Europeans for underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese are <18.5, 18.5-24.9, 25-29.9, and >30 kg/m2, respectively. Obesity by BMI can be further stratified into class I (30-34.9), class II (35-39.9), class III (≥40), class IV (≥50), and class V (≥60).
Choose minimally processed, whole foods-whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, healthful sources of protein (fish, poultry, beans), and plant oils. Limit sugared beverages, refined grains, potatoes, red and processed meats, and other highly processed foods, such as fast food.
Whatever etiopathogenesis of obesity is considered, several organs are damaged as a consequence of the development of obesity, including the pancreas, liver, muscle, and the cardiovascular system.
The best way to treat obesity is to eat a healthy, reduced-calorie diet and exercise regularly. To do this you should: eat a balanced, calorie-controlled diet as recommended by your GP or weight loss management health professional (such as a dietitian) join a local weight loss group.
Many factors influence body weight-genes, though the effect is small, and heredity is not destiny; prenatal and early life influences; poor diets; too much television watching; too little physical activity and sleep; and our food and physical activity environment.