The terms “obesity” refers to an individual’s body weight. Also, it specifies whether the body weight is too high. Obesity is the high amount of excessive body fat a person can have. On the other hand, overweight is the additional body weight from fat, bone, muscle or water. Body mass index (BMI) is the most important and effective measuring tool for obesity and overweight. Read on to know more about what needs to be done about obesity.
An Overview
The body mass index (BMI) is based on weight and height of an individual. It is used for children, teens and adults. Millions of Americans are either obese or overweight. Being either of the two puts you at a higher risk in acquiring diseases. There is a more likelihood to develop a disease, if you have more amount of body fat and you weigh more.
Hoping to reach the “ideal body weight,” this condition provokes people to follow a strenuous diet. A little amount of weight loss can be achieved, but this weight is gained back quickly. According to statistics, nearly 95% of those who lose weight again gain back the lost weight within 5 years. Hence, a long-lasting and effective treatment must be found for treating obesity.
There is a need to know and identify the causes of obesity for treating this condition. Once obesity is accepted as a chronic ailment, this will be treated on the lines of other chronic diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes. So, obesity treatment is a long-term process.
Benefits of Weight loss
Any treatment for obesity should acknowledge that even a modest weight loss can prove to be beneficial in the long run. It is not mandatory to get an “ideal weight” just to gain health benefits from treatment of obesity. The important health gains which can be benefited include:
- Decreased mortality
- Decreased complications of heart disease
- Decreased chance of stroke
- Lower risk of Type 2 diabetes
- Lower cholesterol levels in the blood
- Low blood pressure
