Obesity - Restore Wellness Clinic

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Obesity

Obesity is a complex health condition involving having an excessive amount of body fat. It occurs when a person consumes more calories from food and drink than their body uses for daily energy needs over an extended period. Obesity increases the risk for other serious health issues like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, fatty liver disease, kidney disease, and some types of cancer.

There are a few ways to determine if someone's weight is in the obese range:

• Body mass index (BMI) - This is a common screening tool that looks at a person's weight in relation to their height. A BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.
• Waist circumference - Carrying too much fat around the waistline specifically can signify increased health risks. A waist circumference over 35 inches for women and over 40 inches for men points to obesity.
• Percent body fat - A very high percent body fat (typically over 25% for men and over 32% for women) indicates obesity even if BMI doesn't classify someone as such.

What causes obesity? The main factor is consistently eating more calories than you expend, leading to excess calorie storage as fat. But there are many other influences behind the scenes including:

• Genetics - Your genes can make you more prone to gaining weight and having overweight. They affect your hormones, metabolism, appetite cues, body fat distribution, and other biological factors tied to weight.
• Environment - Easy access to high-calorie processed foods, increased portion sizes, and sedentary lifestyles all enable obesity to develop more easily.
• Health conditions - Some illnesses promote weight gain and make weight loss extremely difficult. Certain medicines can also cause weight gain as a side effect.
• Psychological factors - Things like depression, emotional eating, binge eating disorder, and food addiction can spark overeating.

The main treatments for obesity focus on diet, physical activity, behavior changes, and in some cases weight loss medications or surgery. Losing just 5-10% of initial body weight can lead to notable health benefits. Sustaining that weight loss long-term involves adopting healthier eating patterns and fitting in 150-300 minutes of moderate activity per week. Small consistent lifestyle changes in eating nutritious whole foods, moving your body more, managing stress, and getting quality sleep make lasting weight control more achievable. Support from professionals or peers helps many people successfully manage obesity.