What Is Obesity?
Obesity is a medical condition in which your body stores too much fat, causing serious health problems. It’s not the same as being overweight, which means you weigh too much – including bone, muscle, fat or water. However, both conditions indicate that body weight is more than what is ideal for your height.
Obesity can have genetic or environmental causes. Lifestyle habits and diet or nutritional imbalances play a role. Obesity occurs over time when you eat more calories than you burn. Eating high-fat foods and inactivity contribute to this condition.
If you’re obese, you have a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Losing 5 to 10 percent or more of your weight can prevent or delay many serious conditions.
Symptoms
Experts measure obesity symptoms by body weight and body mass index (BMI):
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20 percent or more over ideal body weight
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BMI of 30 or more
Morbid Obesity
Morbid obesity is a dangerous condition associated with medical problems leading to disability and early death. Indicators include:
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At least 100 pounds over ideal weight
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BMI of 40 or higher
Treatment Options
Obesity treatment usually includes diet and nutrition counseling, lifestyle changes and exercise. In some cases, medication and bariatric weight-loss surgery are options. This requires working with a specialist for long-term motivation and success.
You may consider bariatric surgery if:
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Your BMI is 40 or greater.
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You have a BMI of 35 to 39.9 and you have two or more health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea or heart disease.
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Traditional methods such as diet and exercise fail.
Use our calculator to find out your BMI:
