What's the defintion of obesity?
Obesity is considered to be one of the leading medical problems facing the world today. It’s defined as a medical condition where the body fat of an individual is so great that it carries the risk of leading to serious health problems and could ultimately cause a reduced life expectancy.
The clinical definition of obesity is where the Body Mass Index (BMI) of a person is 30 or higher. BMI is calculated using the body’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of the body’s height in metres.
Additionally, where someone is severely overweight (normally defined as having a BMI of 40 or over) they’re classed as ‘morbidly obese’. ‘Morbid’ refers to conditions that can lead to death. In these cases, immediate action is necessary to bring their weight back into a healthy range to minimise the impact of serious heath problems.
There are some medical reasons for obesity, for example, an underactive thyroid or Cushing’s disease. There are also a few medications that can make you gain weight such as steroids, the contraceptive pill and selected antidepressants. However, these instances of weight gain are rare.
There are also theories that some people may inherit a genetic predisposition to put on weight. However, even if there is an inherited tendency toward obesity, that doesn’t necessarily mean that these people will get bigger. Their diet and the amount of exercise that they take are important factors in whether they maintain a healthy weight.
Your body stores extra calories as fat as a precaution against times of starvation. If you continually consume calories that you do not then burn off, your body stores these extra calories as fat and you’re at a greater risk of becoming obese.
Ultimately, without action, obesity can lead to a range of health complications, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer as well as psychological conditions such as low self esteem and depression.