Being overweight is generally defined as having too much body fat or being at an elevated weight, which can lead to acquiring certain diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, hypertension (elevated blood pressure), arthritis, asthma and sleep apnea. Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat is associated with an array of potential comorbidities that significantly increase the morbidity and mortality of the associated condition. As much as 64 percent of the U.S. population is either overweight or obese. In order to determine a healthy body weight, a body mass index (BMI) can be calculated by using height and weight in proportion to each other.
BMI and Body Fat
The BMI is used to classify degrees of obesity. The metric BMI is calulated by dividing weight in kilograms by the square of person's height in meters. A BMI of below 18.5 is classified as underweight. If the BMI falls between 18.5 and 24.9, it is considered normal body weight. If the BMI is between 25 and 29.9 this is considered overweight or pre-obesity, and 30 and above is classified as obese.
Where a person carries fat may also be as important as total weight. People who carry too much weight in the midsection may be more susceptible to health problems. For instance, women with a waist circumference of 35 inches or more and men with a waist circumference of 40 inches or more increases their risk for disease.
Diabetes
Diabetes develops when the body us no longer able to use insulin effectively or when the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin. Diabetes is diagnosed by a fasting plasma glucose test, an oral glucose tolerance test and a random plasma glucose test. The American Diabetes Association recommends testing for pre-diabetes or diabetes type 2 in all adults without symptoms who are overweight or obese and who have one or more risk factors for developing diabetes such as a family history of diabetes, inactivity and history of cardiovascular disease, to name a few.
Prevention & Treatment
A research study called The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) confirmed that people with pre-diabetes (elevated glucose levels higher than normal) were able to sharply reduce their risk of developing diabetes during the study by losing five to seven percent of their body weight. People with diabetes can manage their conditions with diet control, physical activity and, if needed, medication(s). The general recommended treatment for obesity is diet control in conjunction with physical activity; some may require other therapies such as medications and possibly bariatric surgery.
