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Definition
Obesity can be defined as excess of accumulation of body fat where the average Body Mass Index (BMI) is above 30 kg/m2. Obesity has been a major cause of concern of health all over the world due to its adverse effects with directly leads to increase in high risk diseases like cardiovascular, diabetes and arthritis. Obesity is regarded as leading cause of mortality in the modern world being the common causative factor in 80% of diseases.
WHO has described that patients with BMI of more than 40 are considered as obese and can develop major health problems leading to life threatening diseases. Obesity helps in development of underlying disease conditions as well as development of new risk factors leading to multiple or life threatening diseases like cardiovascular disorders, sleep apnea syndrome, arthritis and diabetes. With harmful lifestyle habits like smoking and alcohol abuse, people with BMI above 25 are also at the risk of mortality specially seen in European countries.
Obesity causes many changes in the metabolic functions of the body which are in turn related to physical and mental conditions. The major changes that can be seen in obese people are high blood pressure levels with high cholesterol levels. Diabetes has always been related to people with obesity since it has a direct or indirect effect on blood glucose levels leading to this condition. Around 70% of men and 60% of women who were suffering from diabetes have been found obese. | |