What Is Obesity
What Is Obesity?
Obesity results from the excessive accumulation of fat that exceeds the body's skeletal and physical standards. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today 97 million Americans, more than one-third of the adult population, are overweight or obese. An estimated 5 to 10 million of those are considered morbidly obese. Morbid obesity is typically defined as being 100 lbs. or more over ideal body weight or having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or higher or a Body Mass Index that is 35 or above with co-morbidities. According to the National Institute of Health Consensus Reports, obesity is a disease and must be treated as such. It is a chronic disease, meaning that its symptoms build slowly over an extended period of time. One of the results of the Framingham Study shows that if untreated, Morbid Obesity is guaranteed to cause an early or premature death.
Why are so Many Americans at Risk?
Obesity statistics are alarming as we see a trend growing in the youth of America. It's easy to speculate as to the contributing factors of the obesity epidemic. Some of those factors are that Americans have more sedentary lives and are not as active. Many work at a desk and do not participate in walking or other forms of activity to boost metabolism.
Fast food and the convenience of "quick fix" foods, larger portions that are high in calorie with little nutrition, have contributed in a heavier, unhealthy America. If you are predisposed to being overweight genetically, these factors can play a significant role in being overweight. Lifestyles have changed tremendously over the past thirty to forty years. With the development and trends of our technology, for example, our general activity has been minimized for efficiency, but have left Americans with inactive lifestyles.
Is Morbid Obesity a Disease?
Morbid obesity is typically defined as being 100 lbs. or more over ideal body weight or having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or higher or a Body Mass Index that is 35 or above with co-morbidities. According to the National Institute of Health Consensus Reports, obesity is a disease and must be treated as such. It is a chronic disease, meaning that its symptoms build slowly over an extended period of time. One of the results of the Framingham Study shows that if untreated, Morbid Obesity is guaranteed to cause an early or premature death.
If you are obese, you realize and deal with this "losing battle' on a daily basis. There is a place for hope to grow. You can achieve your goals and change your life.