OBESITY

A medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems. People are considered as obese when their body mass index (BMI), a measurement obtained by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by the square of the person's height in metres, exceeds 30 kg/m2.

HISTORY Obesity is from the Latin obesitas, which means "stout, fat, or plump." Ēsus is the past participle of edere (to eat), with ob (over) added to it. The Greeks were the first to recognize obesity as a medical disorder. Hippocrates wrote that "Corpulence is not only a disease itself, but the harbinger of others". The Indian surgeon Sushruta (6th century BCE) related obesity to diabetes and heart disorders. He recommended physical work to help cure it and its side effects. For most of human history mankind struggled with food scarcity. Obesity has thus historically been viewed as a sign of wealth and prosperity. It was common among high officials in Europe in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance as well as in Ancient East Asian civilizations.

TYPES The first type is not caused by any disease but mainly due to lifestyle and eating habits. Too much eating and eating fatty foods are the common causes of obesity not just for adults but also to children. Lack of exercise is also a major factor. The unused fats in the body will accumulate if you have a sedentary lifestyle. The Type 1 obesity comprises the major percentage of obese people. And this condition will lead to other health problems if not given enough attention.

TYPES An abnormal weight gain occurs even if the person does not eat too much. Some causes of this type are cushing syndrome, hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian disease, and insulinoma. People suffering from hypothyroidism experiences a drop in metabolism. Weight gain occurs as a result of low calorie consumption. In the case of cushing syndrome, abdominal obesity occurs where most of the fats gather around the body. It is also characterized by the thinning of the arms and legs. There are instances where the hypodermis cracks from sudden weight gain causing line marks on the abdomen, groin, underarm, and back.

HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY Insulin resistance. Once the pancreas can no longer keep up with producing high levels of insulin, blood glucose levels begin to rise, resulting in type 2 diabetes, thus insulin resistance is a pre-diabetes condition. High blood pressure (hypertension). Hypertension is common among obese adults. Weight gain tended to increase blood pressure in women more significantly than in men. The risk of developing high blood pressure is also higher in obese people who are apple shaped (central obesity) than in people who are pear shaped.

Others are high cholesterol, stroke, heart attack, congestive heart failure, cancer, gallstones, gout and gouty arthritis, osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) of the knees, hips, and the lower back and sleep apnea.

MANAGEMENT The main treatment for obesity consists of dieting and physical exercise. Diet programs may produce weight loss over the short term, but maintaining this weight loss is frequently difficult and often requires making exercise and a lower food energy diet a permanent part of a person's lifestyle. Success rates of long-term weight loss maintenance with lifestyle changes are low, ranging from 2–20%. Dietary and lifestyle changes are effective in limiting excessive weight gain in pregnancy and improve outcomes for both the mother and the child.