Obesity Is Not Just A Cosmetic Consideration

Obesity – A Frightening Scenario

Obesity is a chronic condition defined by an excess amount of body fat. A certain amount of body fat is necessary for storing energy, heat insulation, shock absorption, and other functions. The normal amount of body fat (expressed as percentage of body fat) is between 25-30% in women and 18-23% in men. Women with over 30% body fat and men with over 25% body fat are considered obese.

The amount of body fat is measured by body mass index or BMI. BMI can be determined by multiplying your weight in pounds by 705, and dividing that number by your height in inches.

The result divided by your height in inches again gives you your BMI. A normal BMI is 18.5 to 24.9. Overweight is a BMI 25.0 to 29.9, and obese is 30 BMI or greater. Morbidly obese is 40 BMI or greater.

Excess body fat is a problem in all developed countries. It has nearly doubled from 1991 to 1998. It is the 2nd leading cause of preventable death. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death.

It is not just a problem of being overweight. A person may be overweight but have a large muscle and bone mass, and a very low percentage of fat. A person in a normal weight range with a very sedentary life style may have very little muscle and bone mass but have a very high percentage of fat and therefore be obese.

About ½ of Americans are above their ideal weight, and as many as 1/3 are obese based on BMI criteria. Two principal risk factors that lead to obesity are poor nutrition, including ingestion of too many calories. The other half of the equation is a sedentary life style, or lack of physical exercise.

In the United States, roughly 300,000 deaths per year are directly related to excess body fat, and more than 80% of these deaths are in patients with a BMI (body mass index), which is over 30.

There are a number of diets that have been proposed to be a cure for obesity, such as the Atkins, or South Beach diets. However none have been successful in long term weight or fat loss in controlled clinical studies. The only thing that really works is for individuals to take in less calories than they use.

There is evidence of genetic, metabolic and environmental factors or influences that contribute to obesity. Cushings syndrome, or hypothyroidism, and medications such as glucocorticoids can also cause excess weight gain. However less than 1% of obese individuals have a secondary cause of obesity.

Obesity is not just a cosmetic consideration; it is a dire health dilemma directly harmful to one's health. According to The Fat Loss Bible correct weight loss is a science, but it does involve discipline.

We need to understand the dangers of insulin resistance.

Obesity and insulin resistance are modern nutritional diseases