Main Causes of Obesity

Body fat is essential for crucial functions such as the storage of energy, heat insulation, shock absorption and many others. The optimal amount of body fat women should carry is anywhere between 25% and 30% while men should carry only between 18% and 23%. Any amount of fat that is above and beyond these favorable norms is considered unhealthy and is said to be a condition of obesity. In other words, obesity is defined as a chronic condition of excessive body fat.

The formula for calculating the percentage of body fat, which is also known as the body mass index or BMI, is the weight (pounds or kilograms) divided by the height (feet or meters) squared. For example, a woman who weighs 140 pounds and whose height is 5 feet and 3 inches has a BMI of 24.8 (140/5.252=24.8 BMI). BMI of 30 and above is within the obesity range.

Statistic research indicates that one in every three people in the United States is currently obese and approximately 25% of children are either morbidly overweight or obese. These staggering proportions mark obesity as a national epidemic and the most severe public health problem of the 21st century. Further statistic also found that globally, obesity has just about doubled between 1991 and 1998.

Historically throughout the world, obesity was a sign of good fortune, of wealth and of fertility; and it was an enviable trait. Obesity is viewed differently in the here and now of the Western world and it is often stigmatized with cruelty and harshness. In fact, both these extremes are unrealistic. Obesity should neither be idealized nor ridiculed but it should be viewed as what it is — a serious and life threatening condition that must be addressed appropriately.

Causes and Consequences of Obesity

The vast majority of obesity cases are due to the excessive intake of calories and insufficient physical activity in combination with the genetic predisposition. However, there are instances of obesity which are solely caused by genetics as well as physiological, pathological and psychiatric diseases.

The fact is that obesity is one of the leading causes of death around the world as it is directly associated with serious ailments such as the cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus type 2, obstructive sleep apnea, a variety of cancers as well as osteoarthritis. Thus, obesity plays a key role in reducing life expectancies.

Treating Obesity

Managing obesity is a long and arduous process with the first and foremost treatment being dieting on low fat, low calorie and low carbohydrate food in conjunction with physical exercise (cardiovascular, aerobic and weight bearing). If, after earnest attempts, dieting and exercise fail to shed the excess fat of obesity, anti-obesity drugs are prescribed and those which have thus far been approved by the FDA are orlistat (Xenical) which inhibits pancreatic lipase to reduce the absorption of fat; and sibutramine (Meridia) which decreases appetite.

In the most severe cases of obesity and as a last resort, bariatric surgery is considered. Such surgical procedures involve reducing the volume of the stomach (adjustable gastric banding and vertical banded gastroplasty) and shortening of the bowel (gastric bypass surgery).

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