Obesity – What is it?

Obesity is a complex, chronic, and relapsing disease characterized by excessive amount of body fat.

Obesity is emerging as a health epidemic around the world. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity is rapidly spreading across all regions and demographic groups. 

Obesity develops when energy intake exceeds energy expenditure. People living with obesity have symptoms such as increased hunger and decreased fullness. It is diagnosed when your body mass index is 30 or higher (see information about body mass index in “Are you candidate?”). 

The American Obesity Association reports that that people living with obesity have more than a 50% increased risk of early death as compared to people with a normal body mass index.

Obesity does not mean well nourishment, and exposure to high fat, sugar, and micronutrients-poor foods, also the more accessible for the general population for it lower cost, can lead to an inadequate nutrition obesity starting from the pre-natal development.

Obesity is more related with death than underweight and is a preventable and/or treatable condition that should always focus on health gain.

Causes of Obesity

Obesity results from combination of genetic, biological, hormonal, and environmental factors.

Risk factors:

• Advancing age, being female and family history of obesity
• Sedentary and physically inactive lifestyle.
• Unhealthy diet and eating habits.
• Pregnancy
• Lack of proper sleep.
• Disease conditions such as hypothyroidism and depression.
• Medications such as steroids, antidepressants, antiseizure, antidiabetic medications and antiretroviral treatements.

Consequences

If you are obese, you may find these difficulties in your day-to-day living:

• Normal tasks become harder for people as movement is more difficult. 
• You tend to tire more quickly, and you find yourself short of breath.
• Public transport seats, and cars may be too small for you. 
• You may find it difficult to maintain personal hygiene.

Obesity is an important underlying cause for several serious and chronic disease conditions: