General Information Regarding Obesity

Obesity is a severe problem that is becoming much more prevalent in today's society. Every time you turn your television on, you are probably going to be met by special reports relating to the topic of obesity. It is important that every body is familiar with the medical condition of obesity so that they know how to treat it if necessary and how to prevent if from occurring in the first place.

What Is Obesity?

Obesity happens when an individual has too much body fat. Though everyone has a certain amount of body fat which is normal, there are some individuals who have too much fat content within their body. Obesity is currently stated as being seen in approximately 25% of the American adult population and around 14% of children in the United States. The sheer prevalence of this medical condition is why the causes and treatments must be known.

Why are we obese?

There are some different causes associated with obesity. Some of the typical causes include genetic predisposition, lack of a healthy environment, lack of physical activity and not eating a good, healthy diet. One or many of these factors may contribute to obesity in an individual.

How do they measure it?

Obesity can be measured in a few different ways. The first is through body mass index, or BMI. This is a number which is arrived at by taking one's height and weight and using those measurements to equal a BMI calculation. Another way one can measure obesity is by using a waist circumference measurement. However, the best way to find out if one is obese is by considering both the BMI calculation and waist circumference in correlation with one another.

Symptoms of Obesity

The main symptom associated with obesity is a heavy body weight of the individual. There are many health effects that have been associated with the medical condition of obesity. Some of these health effects include arthritis, birth defects in children born from obese women, various cancers, cardiovascular disease, carpal tunnel syndrome, deep vein thrombosis, diabetes, hypertension and stroke, to name just a few. Those who are obese may be more likely to acquire some of the aforementioned medical conditions than their non-obese counterparts.

Can Obesity Be Treated?

The bright side to all of this is that obesity is something which can be controlled and treated. One can do many things to prevent obesity from ever becoming a factor and get rid of obesity as well. Some of the best ways to treat and prevent obesity is to exercise regularly, eat healthy and maintain an overall healthy lifestyle
 
 

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