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:
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:
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.