Related topics: body mass index , children , obesity epidemic , type 2 diabetes , diabetes
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
Adverse consequences of obesity may be greater than previously thought
Dec 23, 2009 |
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The link between obesity and cardiovascular mortality may be substantially underestimated, while some of the adverse consequences of being underweight may be overstated, concludes a study published in the British Medical ...
Disproportionate effects of global warming and pollution on disadvantaged communities
Dec 22, 2009 |
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Global warming, pollution, and the environmental consequences of energy production impose a greater burden on low-income, disadvantaged communities, and strategies to prevent these inequities are urgently needed. A provocative ...
Physiologic factors linked to image quality of multidetector computed tomography scans
Dec 22, 2009 |
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A large multicenter international trial found that the image quality of multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) scans, used for the noninvasive detection of coronary artery disease, can be significantly affected by patient ...
Role of addiction cannot be ignored in obesity epidemic
Dec 22, 2009 |
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The causes of obesity are complex and individual, but it is clear that chronic overeating plays a fundamental role. But when this behaviour becomes compulsive and out of control, it is often classified as "food addiction" ...
Disability may be on the rise again after 20-year decline
Dec 21, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Disability rates among non-institutionalized older Americans increased between 2000 and 2005, a trend that could seriously impact the quality of life of seniors in the coming decades if it continues, according ...
Taiwan mulls world's first junk food tax: report
Dec 21, 2009 |
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Taiwan is planning the world's first tax on junk food in a bid to encourage the public to eat healthily and cut obesity rates, a report said Monday.
Will a carrot or a stick prompt purchase of more carrots?
Dec 18, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Would a so-called Twinkie tax help curb obesity rates? Should shoppers who buy healthy goods earn rebates? A new study will seek to unravel the likely implications of legislative attempts to promote healthy ...
Smoking and Drinking Linked to Bowel Cancer: Know Your Risks
Dec 17, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Besides delectable dishes that help us pack on the pounds during the holiday season, many people also let loose with a bottle of wine or a pack of cigarettes. Richard Rood, MD, says moderation ...
Proximity to convenience stores fosters child obesity
Dec 17, 2009 |
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Childhood obesity is directly related to how close kids live to convenience stores, according to the preliminary findings of a major Canadian study presented at the Entretiens Jacques-Cartier in Lyon, France. The ongoing ...
Food aromas could become new weapon in battle of the bulge
Dec 16, 2009 |
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A real possibility does exist for developing a new generation of foods that make people feel full by releasing anti-hunger aromas during chewing, scientists in the Netherlands are reporting after a review ...
Higher levels of protein hormone associated with lower risk of dementia, Alzheimer's disease
Dec 15, 2009 |
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Persons with higher levels of leptin, a protein hormone produced by fat cells and involved in the regulation of appetite, may have an associated reduced incidence of Alzheimer disease and dementia, according to a study in ...
Home-based child care meeting nutritional standards; widespread use of TV a concern
Dec 15, 2009 |
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A large study of family child care providers shows that while nutrition standards are often met, most children ages 2 to 5 are not getting enough physical activity and are exposed to the television for most of the day.
Discovery of new gene called Brd2 that regulates obesity and diabetes
Dec 15, 2009 |
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The chance discovery of a genetic mutation that makes mice enormously fat but protects them from diabetes has given researchers at Boston University School of Medicine, USA, new insights into the cellular mechanisms that ...
Obesity epidemic taking root in Africa
Dec 15, 2009 |
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The urban poor in sub-Saharan Africa are the latest victims of the obesity epidemic. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Public Health claim that overweight and obesity are on the increase among this group. ...
Regular coffee, decaf and tea all associated with reduced risk for diabetes
Dec 14, 2009 |
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Individuals who drink more coffee (regular or decaffeinated) or tea appear to have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to an analysis of previous studies reported in the December 14/28 issue of Archives of ...
