| Obesity Explained: Is It The Same As Being Overweight?
Obesity is more than just a state of being overweight. It is a medical condition wherein an individual's body weight is beyond that is considered acceptable or healthy. Here is everything you need to know about this preventable silent killer:
If an individual has a body mass index that is less than 30 kg / m2 but greater than 25 kg/m2, he or she is regarded as overweight. Body mass index is defined as weight in kilograms divided by the individual's height in squared meters. An adult with a BMI that is more than 30 kg / m2 is obese, and one who has a BMI that is greater than 40 kg/m2 can be classified as one who has morbid obesity.
Obesity may be genetic - if your parents were obese, the chances you may become obese as well is ten times greater. Obesity is a leading preventable culprit behind life-threatening illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. It may be acquired by eating more calories than the body can burn, consuming too much alcohol, and leading a sedentary lifestyle. On the other hand, obesity may also be caused by an existing medical condition such as hypothyroidism, wherein slow metabolism leads to some weight gain. Many antipsychotic medications have weight gain as a side effect.
To confirm that an individual is obese, he or she must consult a health care provider who shall perform a thorough physical exam. He or she must also be subjected to a medical interview in which he or she must answer questions relating to his or her health habits such as exercise routines, medical history, eating habits, alcohol consumption, and the like. Skin fold measurement is also performed to determine body fat percentage. Thyroid function tests may be conducted to check for metabolism and hormonal problems behind obesity.
The bottom line is, an individual who is overweight may not necessarily be obese, but it pays to nip this silent killer in the bud before it wrecks total damage on a person’s health.
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