Obesity Diagnosis and Treatment

Reversing obesity and its health risks requires changing the habits of a lifetime. Eating less over the long term means learning to think about your eating habits and patterns.
What makes you overeat? Coffee break at work? Going out with friends? Watching TV? Late-afternoon energy lag? Late-night sweet tooth? Are you the one who finishes the last serving of dinner just so there won't be any leftovers? Do you eat high-calorie fast foods or snacks because you don't have time or energy to cook? Having some insight into your overeating habits helps you to avoid your problem situations and reach your weight goal.
Likewise, increasing your activity level is largely a matter of changing your attitude. You don't have to be a marathon runner. Look for ways to increase your activity level doing things you enjoy.
For some strategies that may help you change your habits, go to the article Weight Loss and Control.

Prognosis of Obesity

Obesity increases your risk of many other diseases and health problems, including the following:

• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Osteoarthritis (especially knee, hip, and lower back pain)
• Gallstones
• Lung disease and sleep apnea
• Colon cancer
• Endometrial cancer
• Depression
• Gout
• Dementia

Depression may be one of the most common effects of obesity. Many obese people suffer emotional distress. Because of the emphasis on physical appearance in our culture, which equates slimness with beauty, obese people may feel unattractive. They also are subjected to prejudice, ridicule, and discrimination, which may make them feel ashamed or rejected.
Obesity is also a major risk factor for the development of diabetes mellitus. The good news is that this may be preventable. In clinical studies, patients who were at a high risk of developing diabetes decreased their risk by almost 60% with less than 10% weight loss in three years.

Obesity Support Groups and Counseling

American Obesity Association: This group itself is not for profit, but it is made up of several types of sponsors, including professional groups such as the American College of Nutrition as well as health-insurance interests, for-profit companies such as drug and biotechnology companies, and weight-loss interests such as Jenny Craig, Inc., and Weight Watchers, Inc. The group's purpose is to change the way obesity is perceived and to end discrimination against obese people, as well as to find more effective strategies for preventing and "curing" obesity. It uses lobbying, advocacy, and education to achieve these goals.
Association for Morbid Obesity Support: This group provides "peer support and resources for morbid obesity and bariatric surgery."

Diagnosis of Obesity

Weight-to-height tables

These tables give general ranges of healthy weights and overweight for adult height. The tables do not take into account individual conditions. For one thing, they do not distinguish fat from muscle, water, or bone. They are much less helpful than body mass index in identifying risk of health problems related to weight.

Body fat percentage

Many health professionals agree that percentage of body weight that is fat is a good marker of obesity. Men with more than 25% fat and women with more than 32% fat are considered obese.
Body fat percentage is difficult to measure accurately, however. Special equipment is needed that is not found at most medical offices. The methods used at health clubs and weight-loss programs may not be accurate if not done properly. Inexpensive scales for home use that estimate body fat are now widely available. They may not be entirely accurate, but are generally consistent, so may be used over time to track one's progress.
Waist measurement is also an important factor. People with "apple" shapes, who tend to put on weight around their waist, have a higher risk of obesity-related health problems. This includes women with a waist measurement of greater than 35 inches and men with a waist measurement of greater than 40 inches.

Body mass index

A measure called the body mass index (BMI) is used to assess your weight relative to your height. It is defined as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared (kg/m ²). It can also be calculated for weight in pounds and height in inches.
Body mass index is closely related to body fat percentage but is much easier to measure. Therefore, it is used by many primary-care providers to identify obesity. The greater your BMI, the higher your risk of developing health problems related to excess weight.
To calculate your body mass index, follow these steps:

• Multiply your weight in pounds by 705
• Then divide by your height in inches
• Divide this by your height in inches again

What does BMI tell you?

• Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
• Overweight = 25.0-29.9
• Obese = 30 or greater
• Morbidly obese = 40 or greater

To calculate your body mass index on the Internet, fill in your height and weight at the web site of the government's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Obesity Education Initiative

 

Obesity Treatment

For most people who are overweight or obese, the safest and most effective way to lose weight is to eat less and exercise more. If you eat less and exercise more, you will lose weight. It is as simple as that. There are no magic pills. Diets that sound too good to be true are just that.







source:http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/