|
Learn About Obesity
According to the American Obesity Association and the federal government, obesity is a disease. Some people are more susceptible to obesity than others. The number of overweight and obese Americans has continued to increase since 1960, and the trend dramatically worsened during the 1990s. Today, 62% of adult Americans (120 million) are categorized as being overweight or obese. Obesity is the second leading cause of unnecessary deaths. Each year, obesity causes at least 300,000 deaths in the U.S. and costs the economy $117 billion. - Obesity is a chronic disease with a familial component.
- Obesity increases one's risk of developing conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, gall bladder disease and cancer of the breast, prostate and colon.
- If maintained, even small weight losses significantly improve your health.
- Overweight persons are also victims of employment and other discrimination and are penalized for their condition despite many federal and state laws and policies.
Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a mathematical calculation used to determine whether a patient is overweight. BMI is calculated by dividing a person's body weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared. This number, however, can be misleading for very muscular people, or for pregnant or lactating women. There are several variables that have an impact on a person's health risk relative to their BMI. These include waist size, whether a person smokes, the types of foods they regularly eat and whether they exercise regularly. Being overweight and being obese are not the same condition. A BMI between 25-30 is considered overweight. A BMI of 30 or greater is considered obese, and a BMI of 40 or greater is considered morbidly obese. It is at this level that co-morbid conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and so forth generally become imminently life threatening. (National Institutes of Health, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults, June 1998.) Obesity and Health Problems Obesity can often be associated with the following health problems, among others: - Inability to breathe, severe shortness of breath
- Breathing interruptions during sleep (sleep apnea)
- Irregular menstruation
- Gallbladder disease (Gallstones)
- Hypertension
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Osteoarthritis (knee, hips, spine)
The social and psychological effects of obesity include: - Limited choice of clothing
- Limited physical activities (many patients feel embarrassed in public places)
- Employment discrimination
- Open ridicule in public
- Low self-esteem
- Loneliness and depression
- Despair and frustration
|
Bariatric - The Surgical Solution for Serious Weight Loss