What Is Obesity?

Obesity is generally defined by a person being very overweight to the point of causing serious problems for health. This can be caused by overeating and the over-buildup of fatty tissue, with the food energy consumed as calories not burned away. It may also be caused by a high glycemic diet, a genetic disorder, medications and many other factors. Additionally, binge or compulsive eating is a major factor behind obesity, and can be linked to mental stress and disease. An obese person suffers from an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, infertility and cancer. While there is no lasting cure for obesity as such, it can be treated using specialized diets, and increased exercise, although in some cases, a very slow metabolism will create problems in trying to lose weight. Other alternatives include pharmacotherapy to restrict appetite, or surgery to reduce the size of the stomach, as well as liposuction to remove fat. Although obesity has not universally been a cause of suffering, it is commonly associated with laziness and unattractiveness in the West, as well as being endemic of a fast food culture and lack of proper exercise.

Obesity, or excessive stoutness, is an undue development of fat throughout the body. That it is hereditary, that it runs in families, there is no question whatsoever. And, while with great care as to the diet and by proper exercise, obesity may, as a rule, be avoided in those predisposed, it none the less often will develop in spite of all measures taken against it. Some very obese people eat only one-half or less of what many thin people do; but in the former, everything seems to run to fat.

Obesity must be considered a dysgenic factor. The obese are subject to heart disease, asthma, apoplexy, gallstones, gout, diabetes, constipation; they withstand pneumonia and acute infectious diseases poorly, and they are bad risks when they have to undergo major surgical operations. They also, as a rule, are readily fatigued by physical and mental work. (As to the latter, there are remarkable exceptions. Some very obese people can turn out a great amount of work, and are almost indefatigable in their constant activity.) Each case should be considered individually, and with reference to the respective family history. If the obese person comes from a healthy, long lived family and shows no circulatory disturbances, no strong objections can be raised to him or to her. But, as a general proposition, it must be laid down that obesity is a dysgenic factor.

3 or more stone overweight,the word obese means very overweight.

Being fat.

Obesity is a medical condition.