Obesity is now the biggest health concern in the United States. Numbers never lie, almost two-thirds of the American population is overweight and half of them have graduated into full-blown obesity. This is a continuing problem, and just looking at the different TV ads and exercise videos available in the market today is a testament to this problem. What’s so sad about this problem is that even our pets suffer from this health condition. Studies have shown that 25% percent of domestic cats and dogs are overweight.
Numerous warnings from the American Heart Association, National Institute for Health and Center for Disease Control and Prevention have released numerous warnings about obesity. Things haven’t been moving in a positive direction. Two decades ago the incidence of being overweight in adults was just 50% and rates for kids were one third of today’s figures.
Obesity would not be such a big problem if it was just about appearance. Being overweight puts great amounts of pressure on the body. Obesity is known for causing dangerous medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, infertility, gall-bladder disease and cancer to name a few.
Obesity isn’t entirely based on weight; a 200 pound (90 kilograms) man is not always overweight. Obesity or being overweight is based on factors like age, sex and height. A person who is overweight means that he’s weight is above what is considered healthy.
Obesity is defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A crude population measure of obesity is the body mass index (BMI), a person’s weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of his or her height (in meters). A person with a BMI of 30 or more is generally considered obese. A person with a BMI equal to or more than 25 is considered overweight. (World Health Organization)
BMI (Body Mass Index)
BMI or the Quetelet Index is a simple tool for determining if a person has a healthy height to weight ratio. This does not represent the actual percentage of fat in a person’s body but gives an estimate if a person is overweight, normal or underweight. BMI is computed by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by his height in meters. The result is then compared to a chart which shows normal ranges for a person’s height.
A person is found to be in his optimal weight range if results are found to be between 18.5 and 25. People who are below 18.5 are said to be underweight, eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa are considered for some whose BMI score is 17.5 or less. BMI scores which are above 25 are considered overweight and results more than 30 are found to be obese.
It is important to understand that BMI is not an accurate indicator of a person’s state of health. Other factors may affect a person’s weight must also be taken into consideration. People with high bone density and athletes with a highly developed physique are found to be above normal BMI levels, but are perfectly normal.
Here is the formula for computing BMI:
BMI = Weight (kilograms)/ Height2 (meters)
- It is important that units of measurement like weight (pounds to kilograms) and height (feet to meters) should be converted first for accurate results.
Categories/ Results:
- Starvation less than 16.5
- Underweight from 16.5 to 18
- Normal from 18.5 to 25
- Overweight from 25 to 30
- Obese Class I from 30 to 35
- Obese Class II from 35 to 40
- Obese Class III 40 and above
What causes obesity?
Why is this happening? The obvious reason is that we’re simply eating too many calories. Lifestyle is the leading cause of obesity today. Attitudes towards the food we consume and towards exercise have created the problem it is today.
It is always important to find a balance in everything. Eating should be balanced by physical activity. Obesity is often caused by eating large amounts of food and living an easy lifestyle. Some people maintain their weight by living an active lifestyle such as playing sports or working out in the gym.
Environmental factors also influence obesity. Workplaces and long work hours which require you to sit for long periods of time increase your risk for obesity. Infrastructures and equipments which promote a lazy attitude such as elevators also influence your attitude towards health and physical exertion. Advertisements which promote unhealthy foods condition our minds into believing that it’s okay to consume high-fat diets.
Genetics or a history of family members being overweight is also an indicator that you might be at risk for obesity. Metabolic disorders which determine how much and how fast you breakdown certain types of food may be passed down from your parents.
Medical conditions such as metabolic disorders or hormonal abnormalities may cause abnormal weight gain. Some digestive disorders also increase your risk for obesity.
Taking medicines like corticosteroids and anti-depressants can lead to abnormal weight gain. These medicines affect the rate at which your body burns calories and affects water retention factors which contribute to weight gain.
Psychological conditions which affect a person’s appetite can cause a person to eat more. Some people turn to eating when upset or stressed out. Overtime, eating becomes a reaction towards stressful situations, unconsciously leaving a person craving for food.
Age is one factor that cannot be changed. As a person ages metabolic processes slow down, making it harder for older people to maintain their weight. An understanding on how aging affects the body and a proper diet could go a long way in avoiding obesity and other medical disorders.
Lifestyle Changes
Obesity is a lifestyle disease. As with any other disease which is mainly due to poor diets and unhealthy lifestyles, discipline and information is the best way of preventing these diseases. Successful government campaigns against smoking and drunk driving has increased national consciousness and about those issues. A more aggressive campaign spotlighting obesity could certainly pave the way to reducing the number of Americans found to be overweight and preventing future generations from suffering the same fate.
written by Ronald Uy, RN
© 2009 Hemorrhoid Information Center
Sources:
What Causes Overweight and Obesity? Retrieved October 13, 2009 from National Heart and Lung Institute: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
Obesity. Retrieved October 13, 2009 from World Health organization: http://www.who.int
What is Obesity? Retrieved October 13, 2009 from Medical News Today: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com
