Abc MD Clinic - A Collaborative Medical Encyclopedia

Obesity

ABCMD definition of Obesity: A medical condition where people have very high body weight for a given height, most often due to large amounts of body fat.

Basics of Obesity:

Obesity is defined by using a scale known as Body Mass Index or BMI. BMI is a number calculated with a mathematical formula using your height and weight. To read more about Body Mass Index (BMI) or to calculate your own BMI, see the BMI link above.

Anyone who has a BMI greater than 30 is defined as Obese. Similarly, anyone who has a BMI greater than 40 is defined as Morbidly Obese. A very simple way to look at BMI and Obesity is that someone’s weight is much too high for their height. Increased weight for a given height is most often due to large amounts of body fat. However, in some less common situations (high level athletes), someone may fall into the category of obese or overweight due to large amounts of muscle mass.

Obesity was once a rare condition, however has quickly become a major health issue world-wide. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 10% of the world’s population of adults fits into the obese category. In the United States, some individual states have obesity rates in the 30-40% range. This means if you looked at 100 adults, around 30 or 40 would be obese.

Here is a chart commonly used by doctors showing description of body type and BMI

BMI Chart

Underweight Below 18.5

Normal 18.5-24.9

Overweight 25-29.9

Obese 30-39.9

Morbidly Obese 40+

What are some of the problems Obesity can cause?:

Along with the potential for negative social consequences, Obesity can, and often does, lead to problems with health and decreased life span. Here are some of the medical problems that are commonly seen in obese people:

1. Cardiovascular disease (heart, blood vessels)

a. Myocardial infarction (heart attack)

b. Cerebrovascular accident (stroke)

c. Angina (chest pain with activity)

2. Hypertension (High blood pressure).

3. Hypercholesterolemia (High cholesterol and or high triglycerides)

4. Diabetes Mellitus

5. Depression

6. Low back pain

7. Gallstone disease

8. Obstructive sleep apnea

9. Gastroesophageal Reflux disease (GERD)/Heartburn

10. Asthma

11. Reduced life span and increased death rate

12. Multiple studies have shown that risk of death is lowest in people within the “Normal” range of body mass index (BMI). In fact, the greater your body mass index (body weight for your height), the more you can expect your life expectancy to decrease.

a. If you are obese, you may lose 2-4 years of life expectancy (how long you would live). Similarly, if you are Morbidly obese you may lose 5-10 years of life expectancy. In the United States alone, Obesity is linked to around 250,000 deaths each year.

13. Osteoarthritis (loss of cartilage in joints)

14. Infertility (unable to have children).

15. Cancer- Obesity has been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer, cervical cancer, etc.

16. Dermatologic (skin) conditions

a. Skin tags

b. Stretch marks

c. Cellulitis (infection of the skin)

What causes Obesity?

Obesity can be caused by some of the following (either alone or in combination):

1. Diet

a. High calorie diet

i. Excessive intake (eating too much)

ii. Large portions (children encouraged to finish every bite on the plate)

b. High carbohydrate diet

i. High price of fruits and vegetables vs. more affordable rice, corn, bread, etc.

c. High fat diet

i. Fast food

2. Lack of exercise/sedentary lifestyle.

a. Decreased activity seen in youth (less Physical education)

b. Longer work hours- leading to less time for exercise

3. Medical conditions

a. Hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone levels)

b. Eating disorder

c. Drug side effects- some common medications can lead to obesity

i. Insulin

ii. Antidepressants

iii. Antipsychotics

iv. Corticosteroids

4. Genetics- problems with genes that effect your appetite and metabolism (how your body uses energy)

a. Prader willi syndrome

How is Obesity diagnosed?:

Obesity is diagnosed by calculating a Body Mass index (BMI). This is a number calculated using your height and weight. To determine your Body Mass Index, see our BMI link above.

As discussed above, anyone who has a BMI greater than 30 has a diagnosis of Obesity. Similarly, anyone who has a BMI greater than 40 has a diagnosis of Morbid Obesity.

Here is a chart commonly used by doctors showing description of body type and BMI: