Obesity Facts

What Are the Obesity Facts?

December 12th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed

Any diagnosis requires information and obesity is no different. It is important to know the obesity facts in order to determine the plan of action. The general public is probably familiar with the simplest definition and that is an individual who is carrying an excess amount of body fat. The standard used by many physicians today is the percentage of body fat. For men the range is from 18-23 percent and for women the acceptable range is between 25-35 percent.

What may not be understood by the average person is that being overweight and obese are different. Being overweight can be reflected in the muscles, bones, and water in the body. People have different body structures, some have more muscle weight and muscle weighs more than fat. So, a man for example, may weigh more than is considered normal, yet not be fat or obese because the weight is in large measure due to the weight of the muscle. Bodybuilders are a good example in that their goal is muscle gain. The more muscle they put on, the greater their weight, however, this does not mean they are obese. In fact, their body fat is usually very low.

Another obesity fact occurs when someone consumes more than they burn off. In other words, they eat more calories than what their body can utilize and then the body stores the excess as fat. Contributing factors in obesity is overeating, not exercising or not exercising enough, and eating foods that are high in fat.

Nutritionist and dietitians are available for consultation should you have the need for further education regarding the significance of fat in the food. Learning how to read the labels on food packaging would be a great advantage in the fight against obesity.

One of the most significant of obesity facts is that obesity puts the individual in a higher risk category for serious medical complications like heart problems (cardiovascular disease), and diabetes.

Making the Diagnosis of Obesity

BMI (body mass index) is used by doctors to help determine if a person is actually obese and not just overweight. This is only a tool but is a basic measurement that is used to see if the person is at higher risk for the many physiological complications related to obesity. The BMI is derived by performing a calculation using the measurements of height, and weight. Having a high BMI is a significant obesity fact.

Currently the waistline measurement holds some significance in the determination of the diagnosis of obesity. obesity facts indicate that health conditions like Type II Diabetes and heart disease can be predicted by the measurement of the waistline. Carrying the extra fat around the waste is a prime indicator of this. So, in men, the waist should be smaller than 40 inches and in women the waist should be smaller than 35 inches. In general, the higher the measurement, the greater the risk.

obesity facts suggest that the higher the BMI, the greater at risk this individual is for these health problems.
Health Risks-obesity facts

High blood pressure can be one result of obesity. The heart is a muscle and its function is to pump blood out to the body and to do so it has to push against the pressure within the blood vessels. People who are obese often have fat in the blood vessels so the amount of pressure required by the heart to get the blood needs to rise to push the blood through. Hence, high blood pressure as well as the possibility of stroke. Sometimes, due to the excess fat in the blood stream, clots can for and block off an artery and cause a stroke if its in the brain or heart attack if its in the heart..

obesity facts indicate that because of the higher level of fat in the blood of the obese, that their risk of developing heart disease is greatly increased. Cancer, another major concern today, can also be affected by obesity, most significantly in the colon, breast, and gallbladder. Another common complication that can develop is osteoarthritis.

In conclusion, if you think you or someone you care about has obesity, be certain to visit your physician to get the obesity facts as they relate to you. The earlier you work to correct the problem, the sooner you can reduce the risks of obesity related medical complications.