What is obesity?
Obesity is defined as an excessive accumulation of body fat that presents a risk to health. A person is considered obese when their body mass index (BMI), a measurement obtained by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters, is over 30 kg/m2.
Some key facts about obesity:
- Obesity rates have nearly tripled worldwide since 1975. In 2016, over 1.9 billion adults aged 18 years and older were overweight. Of these, over 650 million adults were obese.
- Obesity increases the likelihood of various diseases and health problems, particularly heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, certain types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.
- Obesity is most commonly caused by a combination of excessive food intake, lack of physical activity, and genetic susceptibility.
- Treatment for obesity focuses on lifestyle changes such as adopting a healthy diet and increasing physical activity levels. In some cases, prescription medications or bariatric surgery may be recommended.
So in summary, obesity is defined as having excess body fat that heightens health risks. It's a growing problem globally that increases the chances of various medical conditions. Lifestyle changes are the mainstay of treatment.