What is Obesity?
Obesity is the excessive accumulation of fat in an individual to the extent that it has negative effects on the health of the individual. If an individual's body fat or weight is more than twenty percent of the the acceptable limit (i.e more than twenty percent of the optimum) then the individual is considered to be obese. So in essence, If your Body Mass Index (BMI) is between 25 and 29.9 you are considered to be overweight and If your BMI is 30 or over you are considered to be obese.
What is BMI?
BMI (Body Mass Index) is a statistical measurement derived from your height and weight. It is considered to be a useful method of estimating healthy body weight but it does not measure the percentage of body fat. It was developed in the 19th century by the Belgian statistician and anthropometrist Adolphe Quetelet. The BMI is an accurate reflection of body fat percentage in the majority of the adult population but it is less accurate in people such as body builders and pregnant women. The BMI, age and gender can be used to estimate a person's body fat percentage to an accuracy of about 4%.
BMI is calculated by dividing the subject's mass by the square of his or her height.
「Classes of Obesity
1). Enviable obesity: This kind of obesity is one wherein the individual involved looks huge and well built. Any attire just fits beautifully. This sort of obesity leaves the individual to be envied by his/her peers. We get comments like chubby guy. plump guy etc
2). Laughable obesity: This kind is one in which the individual is kind of on the funny fat side and clothes don't seem to fit properly or when seen in public riding the bus, train etc, the individual is kind of expected to pay for two seats and things like that. Even the body movements, the cloth sizes tend to get you to laugh. This is called laughable obesity
3). Pitiable obesity: This kind is one where people around feel pity or empathy for the individual involved. Like in cases where the person has to make use of a wheel chair because the excess weight makes it difficult for the person to to stand let alone trek. Usually, the individual is even pitied the more when seen with fast foods or with super-sized drinks, colas etc.」
On a more serious note the classifications of obesity as laid out by WHO are as follows;
1). Severe obesity (class I obesity) : This is for BMI ≥ 35 or 40.
2). Morbid obesity (class II obesity) : This is for BMI of ≥ 35 or 40–44.9 or 49.9.
3). Super Obesity (class III obesity) : This is for BMI of ≥ 45 or 50.
| BMI | Classification |
|---|---|
| < 18.5 | underweight |
| 18.5–24.9 | normal weight |
| 25.0–29.9 | overweight |
| 30.0–34.9 | class I obesity |
| 35.0–39.9 | class II obesity |
| ≥ 40.0 | class III obesity |
Causes of Obesity
Obesity occurs when a person takes in more calories than he or she burns. This could mean eating too much and exercising too little. There however are other factors that may cause obesity. Some of these include:
1) Genetics: One's genetic make up tend to play a role in determining whether one is fat or thin. If for instance your biological parents are obese, fat or heavy, there is a 75% probability that you would be heavy, fat or obese.
2) Gender: Gender appears to play a role in whether one is obese or not. Women have a higher tendency than men to be obese. Men have a higher resting metabolic rate in that they burn more energy at rest than women, so men require more calories to maintain their body weight. In the case of women, when the attain menopause, their post menopausal metabolic rate decreases and that is why women gain weight after menopause.
3). Age : As one ages or gets older, metabolism slows down and the required amount of calories to maintain one's weight decreases. This is why people a lot of people realize that though they eat the same and do the same activities as they did when they were in the teens and twenties they gain weight, still doing same activities at an older age.
4). Physical activity: People who exercise a lot or work a lot require more calories to maintain their weights compared to people who live sedentary lives as couch potatoes.
Some other contributory factors include Illness, psychological factors, environmental factors, medication etc.
Treatments of Obesity: The treatment for obesity among others include the following;
1) Exercise
2) Dietary changes
3) Medication
4) Surgery