| Obesity
In 1962, research statistics showed that the percentage of obesity in America’s
population was at 13%. By 1980 it has risen to
15% -- by 1994 to 23% -- and by the year 2000
the obesity progression in America had reached
an unprecedented 31%.
People in the United States spend millions of
dollars on diet
pills, appetite suppressants or liposuction. Obesity seems
to be plaguing American citizens even from an
early age. In addition, even more Americans find
themselves in the over weight category. In all
instances contact a health care professional before
beginning any weight loss program. You can do
much of your own research on weight loss on your
own before contacting a health professional. Researching
weight loss programs will help you find a weight
loss method that will work for you.
All of us need and have fat tissue in our bodies.
However, when there is too much body fat, the
result is obesity. Obesity is a complex multifactorial
chronic disease that develops from an interaction
of geno-type and the environment. Obesity develops
because of social, behavioral, cultural, physiological,
metabolic and genetic factors.
A thin line exists between
overweight & obesity
Overweight is defined as a body
mass index (BMI) of 25 to 29.9 kg/m 2 and obesity
as a BMI of > 30 kg/m 2 . However, overweight
and obesity are not mutually exclusive, since
obese persons are also overweight.
All
overweight and obese adults (age 18 years of age
or older) with a BMI of > 25 are considered
at risk for developing associated diseases such
as hypertension, high blood cholesterol, type
2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and other
diseases. Individuals with a BMI of 25 to 29.9
are considered overweight, while individuals with
a BMI >30 are considered obese.
Treatment of obesity should focus
on producing substantial weight loss over a prolonged
period. The presence of co morbidities in obese
patients should be considered when deciding on
treatment options.
Know obesity Facts
- Obesity is a chronic disease with a strong
familial component.
- Obesity increases the risk of developing
health related risks like high blood pressure,
diabetes (type 2), heart disease, stroke,
gallbladder disease and cancer of the breast,
prostate and colon.
- Health insurance companies rarely pay for
obesity treatment despite its serious effects
on health.
- The tendency toward obesity is often due
to our environment: lack of physical activity
combined with high-calorie, low-cost foods.
- If maintained, even weight loss as small
as 10 percent of body weight can improve one's
health.
|
