Obesity

Obesity is a growing problem worldwide, and in the United States 65% of adults are overweight, and nearly one third are obese.

• What is Obesity?
• Causes & Risks 
• What About Diets? 
• Can Pills Help? 
• What About Surgery? 

Obesity is a condition in which an individual has an excess of adipose (fatty) tissue. It is a serious medical condition that is growing quickly in prevalence and has become the second leading cause of preventable death (after tobacco smoking).

Obesity is measured in a variety of ways, and your bathroom scale is not the best way to do it. Scales measure only one's weight, and a high weight may or may not be associated with having too much body fat. The most popular way to measure obesity is through use of the BMI, or "Body Mass Index." This is a calculation based upon your height and weight, (calculate your BMI). However, it is not a perfect tool either, as some athletes have high BMIs even though they have much more muscle than fat.

Another useful measurement is waist size, since it is often associated with excess of fat in the central trunk that is known to be associated with higher disease experience. Men who measure over 40 inches at the upper edge of the pelvis, and women with measurements above 35 inches, are often at greater risk for illness, particularly if they also have a BMI greater than 30.