Know More About Obesity!

Obesity is a serious complex medical condition in which the body acquires an excess amount of body fat due to lifestyle choices or dietary preferences. Besides being a cosmetic concern, obesity poses serious health complications like coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Read on more to find all about the symptoms, causes, risk factors, prevention and cure of obesity.

Symptoms-
A person is generally considered to be obese if their BMI (Body Mass Index) is above 30. A person whose BMI is between the range of 30 to 35 is said to be type I obese. People under the range from 35 to 39 falls under the category of type II obesity. If the BMI of a person is above 40 they are generally considered to be extremely obese. BMI is usually a reliable method to find out if a person is obese, but in certain instances like that of professional bodybuilders, BMI could prove to be inaccurate.

Causes-
Obesity generally occurs if the person consumes more calories than he or she burns through various activities throughout the day. Obesity can also be as a result of certain medical conditions, such as Cushing's syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome and other diseases. Hormonal disorders, genetics and such factors may also contribute to obesity. Besides these conditions, obesity also occurs due to certain lifestyle choices such as high inactivity and consuming an excessive amount of fast food such as high-calorie beverages.

Risk factors and complications-
Obesity can lead to a number of very critical medical conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, cancer, infertility, gallbladder disease and erectile dysfunction to name a few. Obesity also impacts the overall quality of life. Depression, lower physical fitness, exhaustion and lower work achievement can occur due to obesity.

Treatment-
If the BMI of the person falls in the obese category, medical professionals will study the person's medical history, conduct certain physical exams and tests, based on which they will recommend a suitable course to undertake from that point onwards. In most cases this includes imposing certain dietary restrictions, exercising on a daily basis and taking certain weight loss medications.