Obesity and When to Seek Help (2024)

FAQs

What are some solutions that we can do to help with obesity? ›

Choosing healthier foods (whole grains, fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and protein sources) and beverages. Limiting unhealthy foods (refined grains and sweets, potatoes, red meat, processed meat) and beverages (sugary drinks) Increasing physical activity. Limiting television time, screen time, and other “sit time”

What is obesity? Obese people have an unhealthy and abnormally high percentage of body fat. To measure obesity, researchers use a formula that is based on an individual's weight and height, known as the body mass index (BMI = weight in kg / m2). Obesity is defined as a BMI above 30.

People who experience weight stigma may respond by conforming to weight‐based stereotypes, engaging in self‐protection strategies such as attributing negative feedback to the prejudiced views of others, compensating for weight‐related negativity by becoming skilled in other activities (e.g. enhancing their social ...

However, fast weight gain can be a sign of an underlying health condition, such as a problem with the thyroid, kidneys, or heart. Anyone who experiences rapid, unexplained weight gain should see their doctor to determine the underlying cause and develop a treatment plan.

The most important strategies for preventing obesity are healthy eating behaviors, regular physical activity, and reduced sedentary activity (such as watching television and videotapes, and playing computer games).

Obesity affects children as well as adults. Many factors can contribute to excess weight gain including eating patterns, physical activity levels, and sleep routines. Social determinants of health, genetics, and taking certain medications also play a role.

Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health.

Obesity is generally caused by eating too much and moving too little. If you consume high amounts of energy, particularly fat and sugars, but do not burn off the energy through exercise and physical activity, much of the surplus energy will be stored by the body as fat.

The difficulties range from scales and scanners, like M.R.I. machines that are not built big enough for very heavy people, to surgeons who categorically refuse to give knee or hip replacements to the obese, to drug doses that have not been calibrated for obese patients.

What do you say to someone concerned about their weight? ›

Science shows its not. Obesity was long considered a personal failing. Science shows that is not the case.

If you're losing weight without trying and you're concerned about it, consult your health care provider. As a rule of thumb, losing more than 5% of your weight over 6 to 12 months may indicate a problem.

If you've been gaining weight, and your attempts to lose it by eating better and exercising have not been getting you anywhere, you may need to see a doctor. Under normal conditions, eating right and exercising are usually enough to start reducing excess pounds.

Class 1: BMI of 30 to < 35. Class 2: BMI of 35 to < 40. Class 3: BMI of 40 or higher. Class 3 obesity is sometimes categorized as “severe” obesity.

While being overweight is a precursor to obesity and, like obesity, can increase the risk of diabetes, heart attack and stroke, it's also possible to be overweight and still healthy, especially if you're free from chronic diseases like hypertension or diabetes.

What are the two types of obesity? ›

Overweight (not obese), if BMI is 25.0 to 29.9. Class 1 (low-risk) obesity, if BMI is 30.0 to 34.9. Class 2 (moderate-risk) obesity, if BMI is 35.0 to 39.9.

Obesity increases the risk of several debilitating, and deadly diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. It does this through a variety of pathways, some as straightforward as the mechanical stress of carrying extra pounds and some involving complex changes in hormones and metabolism.

Obesity affects some groups more than others

The obesity prevalence was 39.8% among adults aged 20 to 39 years, 44.3% among adults aged 40 to 59 years, and 41.5% among adults aged 60 and older.

Obesity is most common in middle age.

In fact, more than 40 percent of adults between these ages have obesity. Another one-third of adults age 60 and over have obesity, and another one-third (32.3 percent) of adults age 20 to 39 have obesity.

One study found that adults with excess weight had a 55% higher risk of developing depression over their lifetime compared to people that did not struggle with obesity. Other research linked being overweight with significant increases in major depression, bipolar disorder, and panic disorder or agoraphobia.

The foods most tied to weight gain? They include potato chips, sugar-sweetened beverages, sweets and desserts, refined grains, red meats and processed meats, the researchers said. Lower weight gain and weight loss are associated with whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

Four phenotypes of obesity have been described, based on body fat composition and distribution: (1) normal weight obese; (2) metabolically obese normal weight; (3) metabolically healthy obese; and (4) metabolically unhealthy obese.

At their most basic, the words “overweight” and “obesity” are ways to describe having too much body fat. The most commonly used measure of weight status today is the body mass index, or BMI.

The Oxford University research found that moderate obesity, which is now common, reduces life expectancy by about 3 years, and that severe obesity, which is still uncommon, can shorten a person's life by 10 years. This 10 year loss is equal to the effects of lifelong smoking.

Additional Studies on Life Expectancy With Obesity

The study looked at moderate and severe obesity and found that: Moderate Obesity (BMI Between 30 and 40) – 3 Years Lost. Morbid Obesity (BMI of 40+) – 8 to 10 Years Lost.

How long do severely obese people live? ›

Those with a body mass index, or BMI, above 40 are robbed of at least 6 1/2 years, on average, of expected life span, a study has found. And the toll in years lost rises with the degree of obesity, reaching nearly 14 years for the most obese -- those with a BMI above 55, researchers said.

Open the discussion about weight in a respectful and nonjudgmental way. Patients may be more open if they feel respected. Open the discussion about weight in a respectful and nonjudgmental way. Before asking patients if they wish to discuss their weight, mention the health risks associated with overweight and obesity.

"I'm sorry you've been having a hard time. Is there anything I can do to support you?" "Don't address the weight, but ask how you can help with her stress like a phone call or go for a walk."

Like tobacco, obesity causes or is closely linked with a large number of health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol, asthma, sleep apnea, gallstones, kidney stones, infertility, and as many as 11 types of cancers, including leukemia, breast, and colon cancer ...

There is an evolutionary basis to our current predicament: Our bodies have evolved in a world where high-calorie food has historically been scarce and valuable, with starvation a constant danger. This is one reason obesity is so difficult to treat; our bodies are wired to protect our weight.

Losing 5 percent of their weight was successful for about 10 percent of women and 1 in 12 men. “Once an adult becomes obese, it is very unlikely that they will return to a healthy body weight,” Alison Fildes, Ph.

Your body weight can regularly fluctuate. But the persistent, unintentional loss of more than 5 per cent of your weight over 6 to 12 months is usually a cause for concern. Losing this much weight can be a sign of malnutrition. This is when a person's diet doesn't contain the right amount of nutrients.

2 Patients may require hospitalization if they are severely malnourished and/or have lost a great deal of weight and are at risk for refeeding syndrome. Although hospitalization can be scary, it is also a very necessary component of treatment for many people.

Who should I talk to if I can't lose weight? ›

A doctor who specializes in weight management can develop a customized plan for your health to get the permanent results you want. There are several different types of professionals who specialize in weight management: general practitioners, dieticians, nutritionists, bariatric physicians, and bariatric surgeons.

Hypothyroidism. If your thyroid (the butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck) is not making enough thyroid hormone, you're probably feeling tired, weak, and cold, and gaining weight. Without enough thyroid hormone, your metabolism slows, making weight gain more likely.

In some people, obesity can be traced to a medical cause, such as Prader-Willi syndrome, Cushing syndrome and other conditions. Medical problems, such as arthritis, also can lead to decreased activity, which may result in weight gain.

Obesity is a condition that occurs in an individual due to excess accumulation of fat due to a fat-rich diet. If a person's body weight is at least 20% higher than it should be, he or she is considered obese.

For adults, WHO defines overweight and obesity as follows: overweight is a BMI greater than or equal to 25; and. obesity is a BMI greater than or equal to 30.

Obesity may increase the risk of cancer of the uterus, cervix, endometrium, ovary, breast, colon, rectum, esophagus, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, kidney and prostate. Digestive problems. Obesity increases the likelihood of developing heartburn, gallbladder disease and liver problems. Sleep apnea.

Many factors influence body weight-genes, though the effect is small, and heredity is not destiny; prenatal and early life influences; poor diets; too much television watching; too little physical activity and sleep; and our food and physical activity environment.

Carrying extra fat leads to serious health consequences such as cardiovascular disease (mainly heart disease and stroke), type 2 diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders like osteoarthritis, and some cancers (endometrial, breast and colon). These conditions cause premature death and substantial disability.

What is obesity and examples? ›

Obesity is defined as excessive body fat that increases your risk of health problems. A person with obesity has a body mass index (BMI) over 30, while a person who is overweight has a BMI between 25 and 30.

People ages 60 and older are more likely to be obese than younger adults, according to the most recent data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. And the problem also affects children. Approximately 20%, of U.S. children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 are obese.