Obesity is one of the major problems in the United States. Body mass index helps to determine under which category your weight falls into - normal weight, underweight or overweight. It is calculated by using your height and body weight. Obesity is when you are more than 20% of your ideal weight.
- Normal Weight BMI: 18.5 to 24.9
- Obesity BMI: 30 or higher
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Another way of accessing high risk to disease is through waistline. For man waistline above 40 inches and for a non pregnant woman more than 35 inches is considered to be at high risk.
"Apple" shape body is more prone to developing heart disease, cancer or diabetes than "pear" shaped body. Apple shaped body means fat is more concentrated towards belly and pear shape means more fat towards buttocks, thigh, and legs.
Causes
When we take more than what we burn from the physical activities the difference will be added to our fat and increases body weight.
Also, diet plays a vital role in weight gain. If a person does not eat a healthy diet and consume a lot of junk food then that person will gain weight. According to the Cdc, more than 1 out of 3 people take fast food in America. Fast food has higher calorie and if we do not burn those calories after taking it then it will transform to fats in our body.
Risk Factors
Unhealthy diet: A diet with high-calorie intakes such as fast food, cold drinks, a bigger portion of foods, avoiding fresh fruits and vegetables leads to weight gain.
Physical Activity: People who work less and is more inactive burns fewer calories which increases weight.
Pregnancy: During pregnancy times, women are more hungry and eat more which increases their weight. For some women, it's hard to lose weight after childbirth. Due to this women might develop obesity.
Medical Problems: Medical problems such as hypothyroidism, cushing's Syndrome and thyroidism can also contribute to weight gain. If someone has arthritis you might notice a decrease in physical activity which may also cause weight gain.
Medications: Medications such as anti-seizure, antidepressants, steroids, diabetes and beta blockers can contribute to weight gain if a person taking it does less physical activity and does not have good eating habits.
Lifestyle: If you have family members who are obese then there are more chances that you will be obese. The reason behind this is you will be eating the same food and have identical eating habits.
Sleep: Too much or too little sleep can change hormone and might want to eat more. Which results in eating higher calories and aids in weight gain.
Age: At any age, obesity can happen to anyone. However, when a person becomes older hormonal changes and decreased physical activity leads toward obesity. As you grow older metabolism (how quickly you burn calories) also slows down. So if a person has the same eating habits and does not exercise as they grow older then it's harder to lose weight.
If a person has one or more above risk factor then there is more likelihood of becoming obese. Obesity-related health problems can be decreased by weight loss. Increased physical activity, good eating habits also can help in weight loss. The other option is to get surgery or take medications.
Health Hazards
If a person is obese then it leads to many health related issues and can decrease your lifespan. Following are the issues:
- Heart Disease
- Osteoarthritis
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Kidney disease
- Liver disease
- Back Pain
- Joint Problem
- High Triglyceride
- High Blood Pressure
- Gynecological Issues
- Breathing Problem - Asthma, sleep apnea
- Erectile dysfunction and Sexual health issues
Quality of life might be decreased because of obesity. People might experience discrimination and cannot enjoy things what they did before. Obesity may lead to depression, sexual issues, shame, isolation and decrease in their productivity of work.
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