Related topics: body mass index
Obesity
hideObesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy. Body mass index (BMI), which compares weight and height, is used to define a person as overweight (pre-obese) when their BMI is between 25 kg/m2 and 30 kg/m2 and obese when it is greater than 30 kg/m2.
Obesity is associated with many diseases, particularly heart disease, type 2 diabetes, breathing difficulties during sleep, certain types of cancer, and osteoarthritis. Obesity is most commonly caused by a combination of excessive dietary calories, lack of physical activity, and genetic susceptibility, though a limited number of cases are due solely to genetics, medical reasons or psychiatric illness.
The primary treatment for obesity is dieting and physical exercise. If this fails, anti-obesity drugs may be taken to reduce appetite or inhibit fat absorption. In severe cases, surgery is performed or an intragastric balloon is placed to reduce stomach volume and or bowel length, leading to earlier satiation and reduced ability to absorb nutrients from food.
Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide, with increasing prevalence in adults and children, and authorities view it as one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century. Obesity is stigmatized in the modern Western world, though it has been perceived as a symbol of wealth and fertility at other times in history, and still is in many parts of Africa.
For more information about Obesity, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with obesity
Obesity causes 100,000 US cancers every year: study
Nov 06, 2009 |
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Obesity causes more than 100,000 incidents of cancer in the US every year, the American Institute for Cancer Research said in estimates published Friday.
Physical education key to improving health in low-income adolescents
Nov 05, 2009 |
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School-based physical education plays a key role in curbing obesity and improving fitness among adolescents from low-income communities, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco ...
Obesity significantly cuts odds of successful pregnancy
Nov 03, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Obese women are as much as 28 percent less likely to become pregnant and have a successful pregnancy, according to research that earned a Michigan State University professor a national award.
For dialysis patients, skinny is dangerous
Nov 02, 2009 |
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Dialysis patients with low body fat are at increased risk of death—even compared to patients at the highest level of body fat percentage, according to research being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 42nd ...
Researchers identify the 3 killer indicators that are even worse than high cholesterol
Nov 02, 2009 |
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Researchers at the University of Warwick have identified a particular combination of health problems that can double the risk of heart attack and cause a three-fold increase in the risk of mortality.
Decrease in physical activity may not be a factor in increased obesity rates among adolescents
Nov 02, 2009 |
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Decreased physical activity may have little to do with the recent spike in obesity rates among U.S. adolescents, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
High fructose corn syrup: A recipe for hypertension
Oct 30, 2009 |
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A diet high in fructose increases the risk of developing high blood pressure (hypertension), according to a paper being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 42nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in San ...
Scientists seek origins of obesity in the womb
Oct 23, 2009 |
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(AP) -- When Kathy Perusse had weight-loss surgery and shed 120 pounds, she may have done more than make her own life easier.
El Paso County serves as a model for obesity prevention
Oct 21, 2009 |
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Researchers at the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Advancement of Healthy Living at The University of Texas School of Public Health Austin Regional Campus found the obesity prevention efforts in the El Paso region were the ...
Sugar cereals are 'Smart Choices'? FDA not so sure
Oct 21, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Ever wondered how that "Smart Choices" sticker wound up on the front of Froot Loops or Cocoa Puffs?
Think what you eat: Studies point to cellular factors linking diet and behavior
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Oct 20, 2009 |
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New research released today is affirming a long-held maxim: you are what you eat — and, more to the point, what you eat has a profound influence on the brain. The findings offer insight into the neurobiological factors behind ...
Big on obesogens: Biologist believes industrial pollutants contributing to America's obesity epidemic
Oct 19, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- With obesity emerging as a leading health threat to Americans, it’s easy to blame a couch-potato culture addicted to calorie-rich foods. But UC Irvine biologist Bruce Blumberg doesn’t believe ...
Innovative program helps treat depression and obesity
Oct 19, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A University of Queensland pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness of an innovative traditional Chinese exercise program on depression and obesity has produced very promising results.
Research Shows Overweight Patients More Challenging to Sedate
Oct 16, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Patients with higher body mass indexes are more challenging to sedate, according to results found by a University of Cincinnati (UC) researcher studying data from common oral surgeries.
Current Soda Taxes Not High Enough to Curb Obesity, Study Finds
Oct 16, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Current state taxes and levies on soft drinks are slowing consumption and resulting in slimmer waistlines, but the effect is generally small in magnitude, newly published research by the Yale ...
