obesity

Obesity is measured using body mass index, abbreviated as BMI. BMI is determined by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by a person's height in meters squared. A person whose BMI is 25.0 to 26.9 is considered overweight, while a BMI of 27.0 to 29.9 kg/m2 is considered extreme overweight. A BMI of 30 to 39.9 kg/m2 indicates obesity. A BMI of 40 kg/m2 or more indicates extreme or morbid obesity.

 

Food is made up of calories, or units of energy. Physical activity and normal body metabolism burn calories. When a person takes in more calories than the body uses, the extra calories are stored as fat. These fat cells enlarge or decrease in size depending on the balance of energy in the body. When fat cells build up or accumulate, it causes obesity.

 

Someone who is obese has accumulations of body fat. Other symptoms may be seen if the fat affects other body systems. For example, an obese person may have swelling in the legs because the heart has to work harder.

 

Obesity is a complex condition. It is caused by an interaction among a number of factors. These varied factors fit into these categories: behavioral cultural genetic metabolic physiological social

Staying at normal body weight by eating healthfully and keeping physically active can usually prevent obesity.

Diagnosis of obesity begins with a medical history and physical exam. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend that healthcare professionals follow these steps: measure height and weightdetermine the person's body mass index measure waist circumferenceassess comorbidities, that is, additional risk factorsuse the treatment algorithm to see if the person should be treated for obesitydetermine whether the person is ready and motivated to lose weight