What is obesity?

Obesity is a medical condition defined as having an abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat on the body, enough so that it can be a risk to the health of the person.

The most common way of classifying the amount of weight on the body, and what constitutes as a healthy balance, is the body mass index (BMI), which is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms, by your height, squared. The NHS classifies obesity as having a body mass index of 30 to 39.9, with those over 40 being classified as severely obese, though it is not necessarily the case as those with a large amount of muscle could be classified as obese due to their weight, when it may not actually be accurate.

Another way of measuring excess fat is to measure waist circumference, for men, obesity is generally considered as being larger than 94cm (37in), and 80cm (31.5in) for women.

A wide range of medical specialists can provide options to manage obesity, including dietary and surgical options, and who treat the conditions associated with obesity.

What causes obesity?

Simply speaking, obesity is caused by consuming more calories than are burned off through physical activity. When food is consumed, especially excessive amounts of fat and sugar in the diet, the body stores it as energy, in the form of fat.

Obesity is one of the most common diseases of modern society, caused by bad eating habits that cause a metabolic disorder in the form of excess fat and consequently become overweight. If the caloric intake is greater than that required or consumed, the excess is stored as fat.

There are some health conditions that can lead to obesity and weight gain, such as problems with the thyroid, especially hypothyroidism.

What problems can obesity lead to?

Obesity can be detrimental to the health, leading to problems in different areas of the body. It can cause strain on the heart, leading to coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other conditions. It is one of the leading causes of diabetes type 2, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and infertility and can also have detrimental psychiatric effects such as depression along side often having a social stigma.

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How is obesity treated?

The most common ways of treating obesity is to increase the amount of physical activity performed on a regular basis, and to reduce the amount of calories eaten, along with eating a healthy, balanced diet.

Obesity treatment tailored to each person according to their age, physique, medical history and daily habits can be recommended by a specialist. By measuring the body mass index patient's degree of obesity, a slimming diet can be established to reduce calorie intake, reduce fat, and incorporating an exercise plan.

Doing activities such as walking, swimming or running are beneficial for weight loss and general improvement of health. As it can be difficult to start, it is advised to begin with exercising for short periods of time, before building up to longer periods.

There are a number of surgical procedures available to help deal with weight loss, known as bariatric surgery that can be considered, these include such procedures as gastric band, gastric bypass, and gastric sleeve.