Are you Obese?

What is Obesity?

Obesity is defined as a medical condition characterized by storage of excess body fat. Naturally, as we eat, our body stores fat. However, contrary to popular belief, fat is not essentially bad as it is also critical for good health because it is a source of energy needed to sustain life processes. Yet accumulating too much fat in the body is not good as it could result in a variety of health problems.

How do you know if you're Obese?
You may find out if you're overweight or obese by determining your body mass index (BMI). BMI is a measure of an adult’s weight in relation to height, and it is calculated metrically as weight divided by height squared (kg/sm²). If your BMI is 25.0 to 29.9, you are considered overweight and if it's 30 or above you are then considered obese.

What happens to people who are Obese?

People who are obese have greater risk of developing serious medical conditions such as:

• diabetes mellitus
• hypertension
• coronary heart disease
• stroke
• arthritis
• some forms of cancer (i.e. breast cancer, colorectal cancer)
• social and psychological problems

How do you cure or prevent obesity?

• nutritionally balanced, low calorie diet - most health-care professionals and weight loss programs recommend diets consisting of 1,200-1,500 calories per day in following proportions: 60 percent carbohydrate, 30 percent fat, and 10 percent protein. But it's still best to consult a doctor so you would know the appropriate quantity of calories intake for you especially if you are already obese.
• regular exercise - best for achieving long-term weight control.
• create a diary of eating and exercise habits - this will help you keep track of activities that leads to overeating and inactivity, thus, facilitating techniques in preventing unwanted eating habits.
• weight loss medications - FDA has approved sibutramine and orlistat for long-term use in the treatment of obesity. However, some reaction to sibutramine includes a significant increase in blood pressure and orlistat (commonly known by the brand name Xenical) has also some reported side effects. On the other hand, an FDA accepted and medically backed diet pill Proactol™, which is known to reduce excess body weight, bind up to 28% of your fat intake, and reduce food cravings is being recommended by most doctors especially a widely known and well respected figure within medical research Dr. J. Gruenwald.
• surgery - There are only two accepted surgical procedure for patients who are severely obese - gastroplasty and gastric bypass which should only be performed by skilled surgeons who would also facilitate patients' comprehensive program for long-term weight management.
  

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