What Is Obesity?

What is obesity, you may well ask; and how exactly do we define it? It is commonly assessed by using Body Mass Index (BMI), defined as the weight in kilograms, divided by the square of the individuals height in metres. If asking the question: how do you tell the difference between what is overweight and what is obesity? The straightforward answer would be a BMI over 25 is defined as overweight, whereas a BMI of over 30 is classed as obesity. Obesity has reached epidemic proportions worldwide, with more than 1 billion adults overweight - at least 300 million of them suffering clinically from obesity. Increased consumption of more energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods, with high levels of sugar and saturated fats, combined with reduced physical activity; can be partly blamed for the rapidly spreading (pardon the pun!) cases of what is obesity. Indeed, overweight and obesity rates have almost tripled since the early 1980’s in areas such as North America, the UK, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, China, Australia and the Pacific Islands. This alarming statistic has forced the issue amongst these powerful nations and now the question is not what is obesity, more how can obesity be controlled?

It is probably the parents of the world that need to ask what is obesity? or perhaps more to the point, be told in no uncertain terms what is obesity! Childhood obesity is already widespread in some areas and on the rise in others. An estimated 22 million children under five are estimated to be overweight across the globe and it's the guardians of these who need to be know what is obesity. What is obesity caused by? Whilst some overweight and or obesity cases are brought about by underlying disorders the main cause is probably lifestyle. The problem concerning what is obesity has two basic issues: too much food, too little activity. High calorie diets from processed foods and fats make it easy to add weight and if the motivation isn’t there to exercise, there is no incentive to maintain a healthy look and consequently, the pounds just pile on, causing initially an overweight problem, and leading right the way up to obesity. What is obesity with regards to genetics? Cases of obesity tend to run in families, suggesting a genetic cause, although lifestyle habits may well contribute in many of these instances, with shared diets etc. Obesity poses a major risk for serious diet-related chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and certain forms of cancer. The health consequences range from increased risk of premature death, to serious chronic conditions that reduce the overall quality of life. The way things are going and if there isn't a marked change in attitude; then obesity is perhaps the ‘shape’ of things to come!