Is Obesity a Disease?

Obesity is an excess of body fat that frequently results in a significant impairment of health. Obesity is a known risk factor for chronic diseases including heart disease, diabetics, high blood pressure, heart attack and various other forms of diseases. The symptoms may be mild in some individuals, but they represent the early stages of a chronic and incurable disease. Even in children with overweight, there is increased risk of developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and other diseases.

According to most references, a person is classified as obese, if he has a BMI of 30 or higher. Many classify obese as disease that affects the rest of one’s body in negative ways, leading to increased stress on the heart and other organs.

Although obesity is often considered as a disease, it is technically only a condition-the condition in which excess body fat is stored on the body. There are many factors that can contribute to excess body fat deposition. These factors can be divided into broadly two categories-genetic or inherited factors and behavioral factors.

Obesity has become so common these days that it is replacing traditional health concerns such as malnutrition and other infectious diseases.

Obesity has more than one cause- genetic, environmental, psychological, and many other factors play a part as well.

Genetic factors-

Obesity tends to run in families, suggesting a genetic cause. Research says if one of the parents is obese, the possibility that their children will be obese is 40%. If both the parents are obese, the chance that their children will be obese goes up to 80%.

Environmental factors-

Environment strongly influences obesity. This includes lifestyle behaviors such as eating habits and exercise. Although you can’t change your genetic factor, you can change your eating habits and levels of activity. Eat nutritious food and be more physically active.

Psychological factors-

Many people eat in response to negative emotions such a boredom, sadness or anger.

Other factors-

Some illness can lead to obesity or a tendency to gain weight. Drugs such as steroids may cause weight gain.

Unfortunately, obesity is difficult to manage, in part because the treatment is difficult and demanding and must be sustained for a lifetime. Again, it is rarely covered by health insurance.

Physicians find various ways to manage obesity by altering lifestyle issues like diet and exercise and with effective medication. To lose weight and maintain weight loss over the long term, it is necessary to modify one’s diet and engage in regular physical exercise.

Obesity is a serious risk to our health. Other than several health problems, emotional suffering is one of the painful parts of obesity. Obese people often face prejudice or discrimination in the job market, at school and in social gatherings.

Various treatment modalities applied for weight reduction include diet regulation, behavior modification, prescribed exercises, medication, management of complications and surgery as the last resort. The management of obesity consists of reduction in calorie intake, dietary modifications, increasing the physical activity, behavior therapy, medically approved drug therapy and if nothing works, surgical treatment.