Obesity is a dangerous health condition that happens when you eat more kilojoules than you use. It can lead to various diseases and one recent survey suggests that obesity is the cause of 17 million deaths each year. A healthy diet and regular exercise can help prevent obesity.
Definition
A person is obese when he or she has so much extra body fat that it becomes bad for his or her health. The three main causes of obesity are bad eating habits, lack of exercise and inherited genetics. The way to measure if someone is obese, is to calculate his or her body mass index (BMI). This is done by dividing how much someone weighs by the square of their height. For instance, if you weigh 80kg and you are 1.9 meters tall, you divide 80 by the square of 1.9 (3.61), which gives you a BMI of about 22. A BMI of between 25 and 30 is considered overweight, and a person is considered obese when their BMI is over 30.
What are the dangers of obesity?
Obesity can lead to a number of diseases, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and certain types of cancer. It is the leading cause of type 2 diabetes, which happens when the excess body fat changes the body’s response to insulin, which in turn can lead to insulin resistance.
Obesity can also cause severe sleeping problems, because of difficulty in breathing. This is known as obstructive sleep apnea and causes daytime sleepiness and general fatigue.
Psychiatric conditions such as depression can be triggered by obesity and the social stigma surrounding obesity can make it difficult for someone who suffers from the condition to lead a normal life.
Treating obesity
Most cases of obesity are treatable by a combination of a healthy diet and regular exercise. There are, however, some cases that are primarily caused by a genetic predisposition and aren’t as easily treated. In these cases, a doctor might prescribe anti-obesity medication that will cause a reduction in appetite or lower fat absorption. Surgery can also be done to reduce stomach volume or bowel length, but this is a drastic measure which should only be considered once all other options have been ruled out.
If you or a loved one suffers from obesity, it’s important to see a doctor and get the correct diagnosis, because the wrong treatment can be very bad for your health. It’s important to remember that prevention is always better than cure, so leading a healthy lifestyle, exercising regularly and eating meals that are balanced and nutritious are the best ways to not only treat obesity, but prevent it entirely.
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