I'm sure you've been told that being overweight or obese can lead to serious health problems. And it's true, the consequences of being overweight or obese can be dire.
But what does it mean to be overweight? How do healthcare providers define and classify overweight and obesity? What are some of the health problems associated with overweight and obesity? What are the causes of childhood obesity? How can we prevent our children from becoming obese? In this article, I'll answer all these questions (and more) as we explore what it means to be "overweight" or "obese."
What is overweight?
Overweight is defined as an excess of body fat and is determined by the individual's body mass index (BMI). BMI is based on your weight and height.
Your BMI number will fall into one of the following categories:
Healthy weight
Overweight
Obesity
What is obesity?
Obesity is a serious public health problem. It is a condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health. Obesity rates have increased dramatically since the 1970s, and over the past 30 years, obesity rates in children age 6-19 doubled for young men and women. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than one-third of Americans are obese, with a BMI ≥30 kg/m2.
Obesity refers to excess body fat accumulation that may adversely affect health at any age.
How do healthcare providers define and classify overweight and obesity?
Here's a quick overview of the most common ways to define and classify overweight and obesity:
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Body Fat Percentage
Waist Circumference (WC)
Skinfold Measurements (SFM)
Circumferences
What are some of the health problems associated with overweight and obesity?
Being overweight or obese is associated with a higher risk of developing the following health problems:
High blood pressure
High cholesterol (see Cholesterol)
Type 2 diabetes (also called adult-onset diabetes)
In general, being overweight or obese can increase your risk for other health problems such as heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, some cancers and osteoarthritis. In addition to these medical conditions, being overweight or obese also may lead to sleep apnea (breathing problems that happen when you're asleep), chronic back pain and depression.
What are the causes of overweight and obesity?
Did you know that the average person has approximately 50 to 100 trillion cells in their body? And did you also know that those cells are constantly changing?
These changes occur as a result of lifestyle, genetics and other factors. When it comes to weight gain or loss, the first thing most people think about is diet and exercise. But there are many reasons why some people put on weight that have nothing to do with what they eat or how much they move around every day.
Here are some of the most common causes of overweight and obesity:
Genetics (your family history)
Lack of physical activity (sedentary lifestyle) - this could be due to working long hours at a desk job or spending too much time playing video games when you should be getting out into nature instead!
Diet - eating processed foods full of fat and sugar will cause your insulin levels to rise which means more energy stored as fat! Eating lots but not exercising will also lead directly towards this problem so make sure if you're trying hard not only in terms of food but also exercise too otherwise nothing will happen...or maybe something will happen but not necessarily what'd hoped for haha :)
What can be done about childhood obesity?
Encourage healthy eating and exercise.
Limit screen time, including computer, TV and gaming.
Limit sugary drinks, like soda and sweet tea.
Limit fast food and junk food.
Limit sweets (cake, cookies etc.)
As you can see, there are many different ways to classify overweight and obese individuals. If you are determined to lose weight, it may be helpful for you to know how your body mass index (BMI) is calculated.
This can help determine if you are overweight or obese by taking into account both height and weight measurements. For example: if your BMI is more than 25 but less than 30 then it means that you’re considered overweight but not obese while someone who falls between 30-35 would be considered obese according to this system
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