GENERAL FAQ
- Body mass index (BMI): If your BMI is 30 or greater, you're considered obese and should talk to your doctor about losing weight for your health.
- Waist Area: If you have a potbelly or an apple shape, it means you have more fat in and around your tummy. This excessive fat around your stomach increases your risk of developing serious health conditions. Ideally, women's waist measurement be less than 35 inches and men's should be less than 40 inches. If you have a large waist circumference, talk to your doctor about weight loss.
In technological terms, you become obese when you burn less calories compared to your calorie intake. The cause behind this disproportion is unclear. It could be one or more of these causes – genetic, environmental, psychological, or others.
Genetic factors: Obesity runs in genes. But, if you amend your lifestyle, you may escape being a victim of obesity. There are instances where many people who are genetically predisposed to obesity do not become obese or are able to lose weight and keep it off.
Environmental factors: Your environment plays a major role in weight status. It includes lifestyle behaviors, including what you eat and how active you are. It is noted that Americans are inclined towards unhealthy quick meals that have high-fat and no nutritional content.
Psychological factors: Psychological factors also may affect your eating habits. Some people eat when they are bored, sad, or angry.
Around 30% people seeking weight loss treatment have troubles with binge eating. People eat too much of food and they can’t control it. If this binge eating gets severe, it is called binge eating disorder. These people need extra support such as counseling and medications to control their binge eating so they can successfully manage their weight.
Other causes of obesity: Some sicknesses can bring down the metabolism or actuate an increased appetite which can cause obesity. These include hypothyroidism, Cushing's syndrome, depression, and certain neurologic problems. Certain drugs, such as steroids and some antidepressants, may cause excessive weight gain through the same methods. A doctor can determine if a patient has any of these conditions, which are believed to be responsible for only about 1% of all cases of obesity.
- Heart disease and stroke
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Gallbladder disease and gallstones
- Osteoarthritis
- Gout
- Breathing problems, such as sleep apnea (when a person stops breathing for a short time during sleep) and asthma
- The Family history of certain chronic diseases: People with close relatives who have had heart disease or diabetes are more likely to develop these problems if they are obese.
- Pre-existing medical conditions: High blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, or high blood sugar levels are all warning signs of some obesity-associated diseases.
- "Apple" shape: People whose weight is concentrated around the abdomen may be at greater risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, or cancer than people of the same weight who are "pear-shaped."